Boy, Meet Girl
by AfricanChieftess
Summary: Junior year. Haley James likes to keep a low profile, and she's certainly not looking for love. But it's a year of possibilities and the unlikely. Suddenly, she's seeing Nathan Scott, a boy with a garish reputation, in a different way. Sparks start to fly, but is it all in her head? Would they even work if he felt the same? She can't deny how sexy and scrumptious-looking he is...
1. Chapter 1

**Happy New Year, everybody! And with a new year, a new story, told through Haley's POV, with mentions of Lucas/Peyton and a Haley/Peyton friendship.**

******I like sappy and happy Naley stories, and although there'll be some drama, you should be expecting to see heaps of Naley togetherness! Well, when they eventually do get together :)  
**Some bits and pieces in dialogue you'll recognize from the show, some are all in my head. Just to warn you: the story will contain some mature themes, including alcohol use and sexual situations/language.

**Not forgetting the d****isclaimer:**** all creative rights to the One Tree Hill characters belong to their original creator(s)!**

* * *

"Holy crap."

If she hadn't looked up, she would have reacted too late to the honking car.

She would probably be bleeding badly from parts of her body that she would probably not be feeling, her limbs probably contorted in odd angles as she begged to die from the pain.

Dazed and rooted to the spot, Haley James stares at the shiny, black hood as the car comes to a screeching halt, missing hitting her by a hair's breadth.

The paper in her hand is scrunched up, trembling fingers gripping onto her pen for dear life.

She lets out a slow and shaky breath, her eyes trailing up to the windscreen, finding a blonde-haired girl behind the wheel.

It's hard for her to tell who she is, but the shock in the girl's eyes mirrors her own.

She's also saying something.

All the sounds in the parking lot resume around her, like in that moment she was about to get hit her brain had shut down.

"Are you okay!?" the blonde yells.

Searching through her mental database, Haley realizes who the girl is.

Peyton Sawyer.

She looks panicked and horrified, reaching to open her door while still asking Haley if she's sure she's okay.

"I…I'm fine," Haley yells back a little too loudly, scaring a freshman walking past.

Before Peyton can step out of the car, Haley is heading towards the stairs, her heart still beating like a jackhammer.

What a start to junior year.

* * *

"Your girlfriend almost ran me over."

"What?" Lucas grumbles, pulling out some papers left over by the previous occupant.

"Peyton. She almost hit me in the parking lot. Partly my fault since I wasn't really paying attention on where I was going."

Lucas pauses, turning his head to look at her. "Peyton? She's back?"

Haley grins, wiggling her brows teasingly. "She's back. Now you can stop being all mopey."

A blush creeps over his cheeks. "I haven't been mopey."

With a soft chuckle, Haley leans back on a locker, looking down the crowded hallway.

Tree Hill High is one of the biggest high schools in the county, kids from two different towns feeding into it. It can make it difficult for people to actually know each other.

Like the girl with the white-blonde pixie-cut pointing behind Haley for access to her locker.

Moving to the other side of Luke, Haley glances at the students standing in the same section.

"Isn't that Elise Roper?"

"Uh, yeah. why?"

On a hunch, she looks over at the girl with the pixie-cut.

"Excuse me. What's your surname?"

The girl looks at her strangely before replying, "Sinclair."

A few lockers down, she recognizes Matt Stowell.

Gasping, she grips Luke's arm as he shuts his locker. "Locker assignments are alphabetical this time!"

"Alphabetical?"

His eyes widen, checking out the locker Haley is leaning on as he heaves the backpack over his shoulder.

"Which means that…"

His voice trails off as the owner of the neighbouring locker comes to a halt and looks up from the paper in his hand.

The curse they both mutter under their breath is soft, but it's clear enough to Haley's ears.

Over the years, they have managed to steer clear from each other. They may have shared some classes but they were in completely different social circles.

Tree Hill was big enough for both of them.

Having their lockers adjacent has shifted the dynamic of their relationship; each ignoring the other, pretending the other does not exist, will be so hard to do when their lockers are side by side.

Haley thinks that their anger and resentment is misplaced. It isn't their fault that they are related, and the person to blame for the way they treat each other seems to get away scot-free.

She looks Nathan over quickly before turning away.

During the summer, he had changed. At least, that's what her eyes are showing her.

He seems to have grown an inch or two taller, he seems to have become more muscular, and he seems to have nurtured his self-possessed presence.

Haley is not oblivious to the looks of interest from the girls nearby, and she would deny it heatedly when asked, but the boy has seriously filled out in all the right places.

Without a word to the younger brother, Haley links her arm through Lucas' and drags him away from there, taking a sharp turn towards the connecting hallway.

"I don't understand why we have to start school on a Wednesday. Couldn't we begin a fresh semester on a fresh week instead of somewhere close to the weekend? I mean, it's not that I have pressing social engagements to attend to over the weekend, but logically, I would rather be here with my things after summer on a Monday instead of a Wednesday."

She's rambling. There are things that make her uneasy, and when it comes to Lucas, bumping into Nathan is at the top of her list. Or bumping into Dan.

"What do you think?" she throws at Lucas, feeling his tenseness easing the farther they are away from Nathan.

"I'm fine, Hales," he says, giving her a slight smile. "And thanks."

She gives his arm a pat, focusing on moving through the chatting students catching up about their summer.

"On the plus side, Peyton's in your section. This is it."

Her locker is a ways away from his than it's ever been. Strangely enough, they've always had their lockers close. Once, they shared a locker in middle school.

A flame-haired girl in a short, tight-fitting skirt and an even tighter top is standing by the locker next to hers, applying makeup using the cracked mirror mounted on the open door.

Sliding the zipper of her messenger bag, Haley pulls out her notebooks.

"There's nothing like new school supplies to get me into the mood for school," she says, turning the combination to her locker.

"Don't talk to me, geek," the redhead says without looking their way.

A bemused look passes between Haley and Lucas before Haley stacks her books and extra pens in a neat pile.

"Have you talked to the coach?"

"Yeah. Tryouts are tomorrow."

"You'll get in. You'll see. So I was thinking that we could meet up at the roof for a round of mini—"

Suddenly, she's pushed aside, losing balance and bumping her elbow on the metal.

"What the…"

The redhead is standing between her and Lucas, chest thrust out, standing in such a suggestive way that it leaves little to the imagination.

"Rachel Gatina," she says confidently, sticking out a hand with perfectly manicured fingers.

"Uh, Lucas Scott," he says, taking her hand but looking at Haley.

Rubbing her elbow, Haley frowns at the oblivious redhead who seems to be completely taken by Lucas.

Rachel turns her head, throwing Haley a glare to assess her. She then whips her head again sharply, hitting Haley's face with her copper-red hair, hairspray and intoxicating perfume.

"I just moved to town," she says, not loosening her hand around Luke's.

"Are you from here? I could use a tour guide."

Unable to stop a chuckle at Luke's reaction to the girl's sultry tone, Haley turns her back to them, rummaging through her bag for a stick of lip balm.

Before Lucas can answer, a curly-haired blonde joins their small circle, reaching for Haley's arm.

"Hey!"

The trio faces her, one of them thunderstruck, another analyzing potential competition, the other grimacing from the tight grip around her arm.

"I can't believe I almost hit you! Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Haley says, drawing Peyton's attention to her arm.

"Sorry! Again! Sure you're fine?"

"Yeah. Glad it wasn't worse."

"My bag just fell and then my phone was ringing and then…"

Her voice trails off, her eyes straying to the other two.

"Hey."

At the silence from her best friend, Haley pipes, "Have you met Lucas?"

Peyton nods at him, peering at his head closely. "Lucas. I've seen you around."

Luke seems frozen, but with a slight nudge from Haley, he nods briefly.

"Hey."

"You look different." Peyton's green eyes shift to the short bristles on his head that look silvery under the hallway lights.

"Your hair."

Unexpectedly, she lifts her hand to run her palm over the crew cut.

The gesture surprises both Lucas and Haley, with Lucas drawing in a short breath that only Haley can hear.

Peyton then grins, dropping her arm to her side. "Cool. Looks good on you."

"Get a room already," Rachel growls, pushing through them.

"Friend of yours?" Peyton asks as they watch her shove people aside.

"No," they respond simultaneously.

"So I want to invite you to a party to really extend my apologies," Peyton says, and then grins widely. "Or you can just try to run me over."

Haley laughs, pulling out her buzzing phone from her pocket. "I'll pass."

It's a message from her mother. She has to read it twice to understand what she's saying.

_Four and a half more weeks! Don't forget to water the plants. Dad says hi._

"On the party or running me over?"

"Both."

"No sweat." She turns to Lucas. "What about you?"

Shutting her locker, Haley bumps against Luke's shoulder.

"Yeah, Lucas. You should go to a party with Peyton."

She raises her brows at him, and taking the hint, he croaks, "Sure."

"Great. Friday night at the beach from around nine. I have to go, but I'll see you guys later."

In a flash, she's gone, Lucas staring at the spot she was last in.

When the bell rings and he's still looking dumbfounded, Haley rolls her eyes, dragging him towards the classrooms.

"You've wanted her since we were kids, Luke. Carpe diem."

He seems confused as he looks at her, like he still can't believe that the girl he's had his eye on for so long spoke to him and invited him to a party.

"If she hadn't almost run me over, you wouldn't have gotten this chance. I'm a great best friend."

Lucas laughs, throwing his arm around Haley's shoulders. "Don't brag."

"I have to. What's your first class?"

* * *

It's the same thing in class as it was in homeroom. Everyone's catching up about the summer, their voices a cacophony that is giving her a headache.

To tune them out, she takes out her book, the one she had vowed before summer to finish by the time school started, but had somehow only managed to get quarter-way through.

A harmonious whoop goes around the room and when she looks up, the joyous yell is directed at Nathan Scott.

For the first time ever, she's sharing a class with him. Their paths have never truly crossed, but if she counted passing by him at Max's Record Store in middle school, then they have been around each other.

He's grinning and returning greetings at those around him, doing that manly hug thing that guys do that she can never understand.

It always looks so painful yet it's supposed to be a guy's version of affection. If girls did that, someone would be complaining about a sore chest by the end of the day.

As she concentrates on her book, in her mind, the male lead starts to take the shape of Nathan Scott.

Over six feet tall, dark brown hair that's almost black, a killer smile, striking eyes, a fantastic body.

She's starting to feel a little constricted and warm in her light sweater as she reads the next part.

_Water is dripping from his dark hair, his blue eyes showing amusement._

_"You could have warned me."_

_"I tried to," she says with a giggle, lifting her hand to brush at his hair._

_His palms rest on her waist, drawing her closer, and then he rests his forehead on hers._

_"I think you switched on the sprinklers on purpose," he says softly, his lips grazing her cheek._

_She starts to sway like they're dancing, her hands going around his neck._

_"My personal wet t-shirt contest."_

_He laughs thickly, his mouth coming down to hers. Her lips part expectantly, but he doesn't kiss her, as if he's tormenting her just by hovering his lips over hers._

_"Don't tease me," she begs, raising her eyes to his._

_Her heart is thrashing in her chest as she impatiently waits to savor his lips._

_Like he can't take it anymore either, he collides his mouth with hers, the kiss not the least bit light or gentle._

_His tongue licks on every square inch of her mouth with a merciless dexterity that sends her mind spinning, _

_Her fingers dig into his hair, holding his head to hers as she deepens the kiss, the intense heat spreading from her gut to…_

Mortified at where her thoughts have gone, Haley takes a glance around the class should someone have seen straight through her.

Her eyes meet those of the person she's been thinking about the past five minutes.

Sitted in the corner desk at the back of the room, his entourage surrounding him, he's studying her like an alien being he's trying to figure out.

Haley holds his gaze, studying him right back.

She finds him arrogant. Ever since they were kids, people parted like the Red Sea when he and his clique made their way down the hall.

Whether it was because he was rich or hot, it always annoyed her.

His reputation with girls makes her stomach churn, all those bathroom stories she's heard of him using them and discarding them like ratty clothes.

They regard each other for another moment, and then Nathan's lips curve up a little in a smile.

Like she's been heaved out of some bizarre trance, Haley blinks, turning her head quickly to face the board.

What the hell just happened?


	2. Chapter 2

**Your reception to this story makes me very happy! Thanks for the reviews, favourites and follows.**

* * *

"Goooo Ravens!"

"Are you a cheerleader now?"

"Ha-ha. In honour of your first game, I thought I'd give the locker decoration thing a try. What do you think?"

He looks intently at the minute hoop with a bunch of multicoloured flowers stuck in the net.

Haley compares it to the fancy work on Nathan's locker; it makes Luke's seem like it's trying too damn hard to sprout flowers from weeds.

"It's…nice."

She laughs with him, plucking out a wilted sunflower from the bunch and sticking it behind his ear.

"Just between us, I suck at decorating."

"It's not so bad. Better this than not having anything at all."

"Are you kidding? With all those cheerleaders who've been following you around, your locker didn't have a chance. I just beat them to it."

She leans on a locker, looking at him intently. "Any hazing today?"

He shrugs, taking a sip of water. "The usual wet clothes in my locker. I can't wait for it to be over."

"Did Whitey catch you naked this time?" she sniggers, peering over his shoulder.

"Oh, gum! Can I have? Hey, they're playing _Attack of the 50-foot Woman_ at the Crescent tomorrow. Wanna go?"

"What are you on?" he asks with a chuckle as he shuts his locker.

"What do you mean? Grape. Nice."

"You're more hyper than usual."

Haley hooks her arm through his. "I'm just excited about attending your first game, buddy! Are you nervous?"

"A little."

"You'll be okay, Luke. I gotta work, but I'll make sure I'm at the gym in time to see you become a rock star."

He laughs, ruffling her hair like a little boy's.

"Hey!"

"Peyton will be there if you want company. She's doing a strip for the magazine and wants to be part of the action to get inspiration. Personally, I think that if she played, that would give her plenty of inspiration."

"Or if she made out with the new star player," she teases, bumping his hip with her own.

"I'm guessing since the party things are moving in the right direction between you two?"

He grins, that smile guys have when they think about a girl they like.

She wonders if someone will ever have that same look on their face when they think about her.

"Yeah."

The smile fades, a frown creasing his brow. "We're friends. I'm in the friend zone, Hales."

She could laugh, but she doesn't. He's had such a serious crush on Peyton that something like the friend zone could ruin the chance he has.

"You should ask her out on a real date. Something nice and romantic."

"I don't think Peyton's the romantic kind."

"Girls like to feel special, Luke, even if they don't seem like they do. Her romantic may not be a candlelit dinner or a ride on a gondola, but there has to be something that'll get her to see you differently."

He mulls it over, tapping his finger to the bottle.

"Think about it. I'll see you later!" she says, squeezing his arm and turning off towards the front doors.

* * *

Parched, Haley rocks on the bleacher, twirling the ring on her pinky finger as she waits for Luke.

If she had known that cheering like she did would leave her mouth feeling like she's in the Sahara, she would have been more armed with liquids rather than just the tiny bottle of water she had carried.

With a glance at the door leading into the locker rooms, she makes up her mind. Even if he doesn't find her in the gym, he'll find her in the hallway.

She's digging into her pockets for change when a loud voice roars through the empty hall.

"I thought this was your team," it says venomously.

"I don't think it's such a big deal, Dad."

She stops where she is when she recognizes the second voice, moving closer to the wall so as not to be discovered.

The angry voice laughs sarcastically.

"This new kid will take your position and you'll be left with nothing, but I'll tell you what. I'll give you a job at the dealership, and you can spend the rest of your life haggling over free floor mats with morons with bad credit. How does that sound? Because that's where you're headed, and that's if I give you the job."

She's holding her breath, her mouth gaping open at Dan Scott's little speech.

"Get your head out of your ass and into the game."

The sting of horror she's feeling intensifies at Dan's biting tone.

"Let's go. You know better than to let me waste my energy on this, Nathan."

Their countering footsteps recede down the hall and out through the door.

She remains where she is, her heart pounding against the wall.

It makes her physically ill when she imagines what Nathan must be feeling after being spoken to like that.

"Boo."

She jumps half a foot in the air, staggering back as she faces him, a hand over her chest.

"JESUS!"

Her shriek bounces off the walls in echoes.

"What the hell, Lucas!"

He chuckles, settling his hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Chill. It's just me."

Her heart is beating a hundred miles an hour. Nervously, she takes a discreet look over her shoulder. All is clear.

"What are you doing?" he asks, peering down at her with curiosity.

"Getting a soda," she sputters, feeling her heart starting to slow.

After a pause, she blurts, "So congratulations on making the game-winning shot!"

Dan Scott's cruel words are just echoing in her head but she manages to sound bright and upbeat.

Lucas puts an arm around her, steering her towards the exit.

"It felt so weird when random people were congratulating me, even freshmen."

"You're a rock star now, Luke," she grins widely, truly happy for him despite being torn up about what she heard.

"Everyone wants to be associated with you."

He grunts softly, not saying a word.

She can't divulge the details of that dialogue to him; what good would it do rather than create a bigger mess?

"Aren't you going to get your soda?"

They're standing by the vending machine, and Haley shakes her head to regain focus.

"Um, I'll just get one later. You took forever making yourself look pretty. Going somewhere?"

A blush snakes up his face. "I'm meeting Peyton."

She was kidding, but at the ear-to-ear grin on his face, she smacks his arm lightly, breaking out into a smile of her own.

"Go Luke! You asked her out?"

That smile widens. "Actually, she did. She's a bold girl, that one. I like that."

"So I guess you're skipping the Burning Boat Festival this year?"

"You don't mind, do you?"

She would rather he go out with Peyton than have him stay out of obligation or guilt.

"Nope. Have you thrown something into the boat?"

He grins, self-satisfied. "My name tag from the back of my jersey."

"Scott?"

"Yeah."

Pushing the door open, it bumps hard against something that feels like a human body.

"Sorry!" Haley calls out, grimacing at the muffled curse on the other side.

They both take a step back, allowing whoever it is to walk in.

Nathan steps into the hallway, rubbing at his forehead with his palm.

A lump forms in her throat and she feels Luke become rigid beside her.

"Are you okay?" she hears herself ask.

In her peripheral vision, she sees Luke whip his head to her.

She ignores him, not finding anything wrong with what she's doing. Even if it were not Nathan on the other side of the door, she would have still inquired if they were okay.

Nathan's gaze darts from her to Luke, his face turning stony before averting his eyes to her.

He doesn't show any indication that less than five minutes ago his father was verbally abusive.

Haley has to raise her head because of his height, in the process catching a sudden, subtle whiff of his musky cologne.

It's clean and woodsy, blending in with his body heat, creating an alluring scent that she considers solely his.

"Yeah."

His voice up close is transfixing; coming out ragged and husky, it has a hint of bass so sensual that a hum tickles deep in the pit of her stomach.

He drops his hand, and her lips part slightly at the pink blotch on his forehead.

At the look on her face, he frowns, rubbing at his forehead again.

"Is it bad?"

She fastens her lips together, bobbing her head sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Hales, we gotta go," Lucas curtly says, stepping out into the night, holding the door for her.

"Um, yeah."

Her nerves buzzing, she brushes past Nathan, catching that cologne again.

"What an asshole," Luke mutters under his breath.

"Come on, Luke," Haley admonishes, feeling bad for Nathan.

That chew out he got from his father was brutal.

"I mean, you told me that it's normal for new guys to get hazed, right?"

Lucas narrows his blue eyes at her, something like fury flashing in them.

"Why are you defending him?"

She sighs slowly, letting the door go, not budging under his dark glare. "He was civil, Luke. I just don't see why you have to insult him."

Luke's mouth sets in a tight line and he starts for the parking lot without saying another word.

Just before the door closes behind her, she looks back over her shoulder, finding Nathan looking right back at her.

"Hey!" she calls behind Lucas, hurrying to catch up.

He has long strides, and she's a little breathless when she falls in step with him.

They quietly walk towards his truck, Haley thinking about the look in Nathan's eyes as the door closed.

She's awfully glad that Lucas is not psychic.

"He never bothers to pass me the ball," Lucas mumbles. "We're supposed to be on the same team, but I may as well be in the opposing one."

"Maybe he's threatened by your skills. Did you see what you did out there tonight?"

He grins faintly, throwing his arm around her shoulders.

She can breathe easy for now.

* * *

Haley cradles the Styrofoam cup of hot apple cider in her hands, walking slowly down the lit up sidewalk towards the burning boat.

The annual festival is a week-long affair that primarily centres on people throwing away their bad memories from the last year for a fresh start. On the last night of the festival, the boat is set alight, everything in it burning to ashes.

Stalls and kiosks line up the streets, vendors selling everything from homemade jewelry and pies, to art and ceramics.

For as long as she can remember, she's attended the final ceremony with Luke. They often took the highest stand for a good view, watching the flames lick everything up.

She makes her way up to their regular stand, smiling and waving at any familiar face she sees. The River Court Guys as she calls them – Skills, Junk, Fergie, Mouth and Jimmy – ask her to sit with them but she refuses with a smile, telling them that it would be bad luck for her to change seats the last minute.

They laugh at her reasoning, telling her to pass by the court later after the festival for a game. They don't ask about Lucas and she supposes that they know about him and Peyton.

Alone up there, she has a view of everyone and everything.

The junior cheerleaders led by Brooke and not surprisingly, Rachel. A month into a new school and the girl has already booked herself a spot in the social pecking order.

Karen browsing through a rack at a jewelry stand. A clown juggling pins before an awed group of children. The cooking club members selling slices of pie and strudel.

She does a double-take when her eyes pass over the tall, solitary figure.

Nathan Scott.

Hands stuffed into the pockets of his blue varsity jacket, as still as a rock, he's standing at the far edge of the boat, staring into it.

In all the years of attending, she's never seen him at the festival. Perhaps it's because she didn't notice him in attendance as she had no reason to.

It's funny that before this school year, he has never been in her orbit, but suddenly, he's appearing everywhere.

Blowing on the cider, she watches his rigid face, speculating what it is he's thinking about so seriously. His father? Basketball? Lucas? Her?

It shames her to think of it, but she wonders if she ever crosses his mind the least bit.

Tim jumps him and immediately, the ferocious look is gone, his face evening out, mouth curving up into a grin.

If she hadn't been observing him, she wouldn't think that there was anything out of the ordinary when he smiled like that. It's a terribly genuine smile.

For such a gorgeous boy to have such a crappy father is just tragic. Luke may have dodged a bullet.

The parents she's encountered have never been abusive to their kids. From her parents to Luke's mom Karen to Luke's – and Nathan's – Uncle Keith, grownups have been encouraging, not belittling.

What makes her more curious is Nathan's mother. She's seen glimpses of the woman around town, her sporadic appearances as she's driving through in her silver Passat.

Where does she fit in this equation? Does she know what her husband says to their son? Does she care?

The microphone on the podium is tapped thrice to get people's attention.

Whitey Durham, coach of the Ravens, in his standard baseball cap and coaching attire, looks out into the crowd, saying, "Good evenin'."


	3. Chapter 3

School eventually resumes its sameness and routine. Students crash back from the laziness of the summer, while teachers have no reservations whatsoever about giving surprise quizzes and extensive homework assignments.

Since that first day of class, Haley has avoided looking over her shoulder to the rear of the room on Wednesdays and Fridays.

She can't be sure about the gaze she feels on her back, but she dare not find out. She convinces herself that the discomfiting feeling is all in her head.

Every time she sees him in the halls, she remembers that night in the gym when his father hurled those words at him. It's changed her perception of him; he's so good at masking it that she could swear his life is perfect if she hadn't eavesdropped on that conversation.

It's during one of those days that her relationship with Nathan takes a turn.

It all starts with a long-legged sprinter stretching out, just as Mr. Yoder announces that he's returning their marked quizzes.

Mr. Yoder, flipping through the sheaf, trips over Tristan's foot, losing his hold on some papers and sending them flying.

He reprimands while Tristan apologizes, and being closest to the fallen papers, Haley picks them up.

One in particular catches her eye, the huge F rather unmistakable.

Her eyes slide to the name scribbled on the paper.

Nathan Scott.

She distractedly hands the papers back, leaning her elbows on her desk while deep in thought.

The A on her quiz doesn't give her the pride and joy she usually gets, a twinge of sympathy pricking at her mind.

She can't resist peeking over her shoulder.

The teacher is lingering on Nathan's desk, murmuring quietly to him. Nathan is just listening with a blank expression, his eyes on his booklet.

Like he can feel her staring, his head jerks up, blue eyes meeting brown.

Haley draws in a sharp breath, a shiver shooting up her spine.

He flashes her a weak smile, and she wonders if his sudden interest in her is some sort of test.

They've never been in each other's radar all these years, but these days, the dynamic energy between them is crackling like a roaring fire.

Swallowing hard at the intensity of his stare arcing across the space, she bravely holds his gaze before turning away.

It has to be curiosity. That's all there is to it.

* * *

She's looking through a box of old files when someone knocks on the door.

"One moment."

Shimmying out backwards from the small space using her elbows, Haley pushes herself to her feet, smacking at her jean-clad knees before drawing the apple from her mouth.

"Haley James?"

Her face has crumpled when she turns around.

There's an amused smile on his face as he looks her over.

"Can I help you?" she mumbles, propping the half-eaten apple on the table.

His gaze is steady on her for a moment, and only when she shifts on her feet does he drop his eyes.

He glances down at the blue slip in his hand before waving it at her.

"It says here that you're my tutor."

"Your what?"

He nods, and stifling a groan, Haley holds her hand out for the paper, quickly reading through it.

She wants to curse at the clearly written details; he needs a math and English tutor, a tutor by the name of Haley James.

"Hi, Nathan," a girly voice pipes from the doorway.

Rachel is holding a hand on her hip like she wants to scold him, but the sultry look in her eyes tells different.

"You haven't called me," she says in a husky voice around the gum in her mouth.

Haley observes the little exchange with disdain, particularly the smirk Nathan is giving her.

"Sorry. Lost my phone."

Rachel sticks her bottom lip out, her cleavaged chest thrusting even higher.

Unable to take it, Haley asks, "Are you looking for a tutor?"

Nathan turns back to look at her, the expression on his face like one of someone taking pleasure in the interruption.

Rachel sneers at her behind Nathan's back, looking her over up and down slowly.

"I'll talk to you later, handsome," she says silkily before leaving.

"Nicely played," Nathan tells her with some kind of admiration.

Haley ignores him, shaking her head and returning the blue slip to him.

"Sorry, I can't help you. I'm best friends with Lucas."

"Well, then, I'm sorry, too."

She wants to insult him but instead, she narrows her eyes slightly before moving away from him.

He sighs, appearing apologetic.

"Look, this is not personal. I really need your help."

He pulls out a booklet that was tucked under his arm, the F she saw this morning ten times magnified up close.

"If I don't get my grades up soon, I get kicked out of the team. I can't afford that."

He sounds desperate, looks it, even. Nevertheless, agreeing to it will be opening a can of worms she doesn't want crawling out.

"Forget it. I'll find you someone else."

"You're the one I was assigned to."

It's going to take begging, and probably lying, for her to ask the advisor of the Tutor Centre to swap tutors.

At her silence, he just shakes his head, starting to back away.

"I didn't think you were so judgmental."

Her eyebrows shoot up in question, but before she can respond, he's gone.

Judgmental?

Judgment has nothing to do with it; her friendship with Lucas has everything to do with it.

* * *

The halls are quiet as she takes the turn towards Luke's locker.

Her head is bopping along to the music blasting through her ear buds.

It's her favourite time of day while in school, when everyone's gone and the silence around is soothing rather than ominous.

Haley takes a glance to the side at Nathan's locker; seeing it brings him to mind, and she remembers their short conversation this morning.

She hasn't had a chance to find a replacement tutor for him. She's uncertain whether she's sitting on that task because she feels bad for him or because she actually hasn't had the time. Yet she had a free period after lunch.

With a frustrated sigh, she starts singing softly, seeking distraction from her self-condemnation.

She doesn't notice the intruder until she feels a thump against her foot.

With a yelp of surprise, she bangs her shoulder against the locker, her hand reaching to pluck out the ear buds.

"Sorry," he mouths, his face void of emotion, serious or otherwise.

He's in workout gear, hair wet, bare arms glistening.

Like an idiot, she just stares at him mutely.

"What are you listening to?"

At his question, she looks away from his intense gaze, stuffing the buds in her pocket.

"Sheryl Crow."

"Isn't your locker that way?" he asks, his head jerking slightly over his shoulder.

"Luke's out sick," she says quickly, finding Luke's locker more interesting than she ever thought it could be.

A faded Powerpuff Girls sticker is on the bottom left side, someone having taken some work on it to scratch it out without success. There are a few CDs stashed between a pile of papers, a single shoelace and a small packet of jellybeans over them.

Her head is stuck in the locker as she thinks of that big F on Nathan's math quiz. It starts blinking in neon lights.

She's trying to rationalize why offering to tutor him would be the start of something extraordinarily disastrous.

First of all, Luke would blow a gasket.

Second, third and fifth of all, Luke would blow a gasket.

But her conscience has fought her all day. A grade like that so far into the semester is not a good sign.

Clearly, the guy needs help.

"I'll do it," she mutters into the locker.

"What?"

Drawing her head out, she breathes out heavily, turning slightly to face him.

"Tutor you."

He seems surprised, something darkening his eyes.

She is suddenly dry-mouthed, conscious of how close they really are, merely separated by centimetres.

And she hates herself instantly for it, feeling like she's betraying Luke with that small awareness.

Clearing her throat, she shifts her gaze to the side, her eyes landing on the freckle on his shoulder.

For some strange reason, it looks sexy as hell, and she imagines standing on tiptoe and brushing her lips over it, her teeth grazing the curve of his—

She hates herself again, giving herself a thorough mental beating for getting carried away.

He's saying something, and with a hard blink, she focuses on his face.

"Sorry?" she stammers, a heat rising on her cheeks.

He throws her a strange look before saying, "I have practice every day after school. We would have to meet at night or in the morning."

She wonders if his lips are as soft as they look, if he's as strong as he looks, if he's a serious student or one who doesn't mind putting the books aside for a long make-out session.

Haley lets out a muffled squeak, coughing quickly to mask her wayward contemplations. If her thoughts were on loudspeakers, she would be begging the earth to swallow her up out of mortification.

She nods to shake herself out of the stupor, rapidly trying to figure out when it's possible to meet him.

"Okay. Tuesdays and Thursdays at6.30AM."

He doesn't even flinch at the ungodly hour she has mentioned.

"It's the only time I can do it."

Factoring in her job at the café after school, some evenings she feels too wiped out to even concentrate on her homework.

He's just nodding, staring at her through hooded eyes like he's trying to follow her train of thought.

"Nathan."

He jerks, his eyes widening some.

"Huh? Sorry. Long day," he says sheepishly, raising his hand to rub at the back of his neck.

So they're both spacing out, but unlike her, he's tired. She, on the other hand, is building romantic castles.

"Tuesday, 6.30AM."

"And Thursday."

"Right, right. Tuesday and Thursday. Where?"

The same hand grazes across his face, and she feels sympathetic for him.

Luke is always carrying the same exhaustion after practice since he joined the team, and she can't even begin to imagine what kind of strain Whitey's training takes on a body.

She's happy pretending that she's perfectly fit.

"The Market Street docks."

"Why not the Tutor Centre?"

"I like the view."

Sniggering, he leans on the locker behind him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It gets crowded in the morning," she explains without conviction.

He nods like he doesn't believe her, but he lets it go.

With a quick nod, she shuts Luke's locker, throwing the heavy backpack over her shoulder.

"Haley."

She stops, turning slightly to look at him, her ponytail brushing over her neck.

Despite his apparent exhaustion, there's a faint smile on his face.

"I don't know why you changed your mind, but thank you."

* * *

She's been staring at the red door for the last few minutes, dreading knocking on it.

Crazy has to be the explanation as to why she agreed to tutor Nathan. On a deeper level, she's ashamed to admit that she wants to know him better.

All these years, she's interacted with one Scott boy, and she's only heard things from his point of view. Is she betraying him by befriending, _teaching_, his brother?

Muttering a soft curse, she raises her hand and raps her knuckles against the door.

Let it be as it be.

His muffled agreement tells her that it's okay to come in.

He's propped up on his bed by pillows, one cheek distended like it's stuffed with a golf ball.

Struggling to control it, Haley just laughs, placing the collection of books at the foot of the bed.

His eyes shut slowly as he lets out a soft groan, accompanied by unintelligible words.

"Sorry," she apologizes, holding back another laugh. "You just look so funny with that stuff in your mouth."

He holds up a finger, getting off the bed and heading for the connecting bathroom.

A moment later, he's back, cradling his flat cheek in his palm.

"Did it hurt too much?" she asks with a grimace, shuddering slightly at the thought of being in a dentist's chair.

"He was drilling for oil," Lucas grunts, grabbing his books and slamming them down on his desk.

"Do I have a lot of work?"

"Nothing you can't manage."

They talk some more about the afternoon classes and his surgery.

The whole while, Haley is silently rehearsing what she's going to tell him.

Whatever happens, she'll have to tell him, even if it's blurting it out and then running out the door.

Feeling like she has built up a semblance of enough courage to tell him, she leans back on the headboard, legs stretched on the edge of the bed.

"I want you to hear this from me."

He looks at her expectantly, massaging his jaw. "Okay."

Breathing in and out deeply, she says quickly, "I'm going to be tutoring Nathan."

She braces herself for his reaction.

He's just staring at her like he's not heard her correctly.

"Hello? Did you hear me?"

Cupping her hands around her mouth, she speaks slower in an exaggerated volume.

"I'm. Going. To. Be. Tutoring. Nathan. Scott."

When he realizes that she's utterly serious, his face starts turning a shade she's never seen before. It's not scarlet or plum, rather something so ghastly and bizarre that she frowns a little.

Catching herself, she draws out the breath she was holding, watching his mouth tighten, like he's trying to contain himself from blowing up.

As usual, it's hard for Lucas to hold his tongue when it comes to Nathan.

"Are you freaking kidding me!?" he roars, his hands whipping out over his head angrily.

In the next second, he's reaching for his cheek. "Hell!"

Trying to lighten the situation, Haley wipes at her forehead with her palm.

"Jeez, Luke. I already took a shower."

He throws her a sharp glare, standing and starting to pace the room.

"From the beginning, Haley. What happened?"

She rattles on quickly about Nathan's test and her conscience, colouring it with her duty as a tutor to help those who need it.

"You're not a lawyer or a doctor, Haley. There's no oath involved in tutoring."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Take a breath before you start undermining the integrity of my high school profession."

"No zingers. This is serious. You're tutoring my mortal enemy!"

She has tried, really tried, to be impartial about the brothers' relationship. Sometimes she feels like she's blindingly following Luke's lead when he talks about Nathan.

Over the years, he's been a jerk, an idiot, a prima donna, a poseur. She would listen quietly as he ranted and raved, cursing Nathan and Dan out with every morsel of his being.

Once, she asked him if perhaps his dislike of Nathan was out of jealousy. He didn't speak to her for a week.

All those terms, she felt, were better suited for Dan Scott. He was the one who left Karen pregnant while in high school, accepting a basketball scholarship to college, meeting Deb and marrying her when she got pregnant with Nathan.

They were born three months apart.

Dan quit playing basketball after busting up a knee, moving Deb and Nathan to Tree Hill, raising one child in wealth while he completely ignored the other.

She could see why Lucas would despise Nathan, but she wished he didn't. Despite the struggles his mother had gone through to raise him, Lucas had turned out to be a terrific guy.

She would bet her oldest, rattiest teddy bear, Mr. Waffles, that Lucas had the best life between the two of them.

"Just tutoring, Luke. That's all."

Her insistence that there's nothing more to it has him staring down at her, like he's waiting for her to break and confess that there's more.

She can feel her throat closing up, wondering if he can see right through to her soul at the dirty, dirty things she's thought of doing with Nathan since school started.

She's saved from passing out when Luke's mother walks in, carrying a glass of iced water.

The dainty, dark-haired woman gives her a bright smile. She's a woman who represents everything about grace and bravery. She stayed in Tree Hill, raising her son while his father closed his eyes as to their existence.

"Haley. Hi."

"Hey."

Haley breathes out slowly, aware that Lucas has his eyes still trained on her.

"I can't find the straws," Karen tells him. "You'll have to look for them yourself."

Haley raises her eyes to him, trying to appear nonchalant and unperturbed about his probing gaze.

She smiles stiffly, her cheeks so rigid that she swears she's been injected with a poison in the last few seconds.

Lucas breaks his stare, turning to his mother. "Thanks, Ma."

Haley can't take it. She has to leave before Karen does and Luke is back to intimidating her.

"I have to get to work. I don't want my boss to think that I'm slacking off," she says, throwing Karen that stiff smile.

In the twinkling of an eye, she's tugging at the door, fleeing. Even before she's out the door, she can sense the weightiness behind Luke's words.

"We'll talk later."

Only when she's out of view from his house does it hit what her decisions of the day have brought to her feet.

What has she gotten herself into?


	4. Chapter 4

The weekend takes off as if it's on someone's payroll.

And then it's Tuesday.

Haley wakes up nervous after a restless night, slamming her palm down on the alarm clock.

It pains her that she has been so preoccupied with thoughts of Nathan, constantly wondering how the session will go.

There has to be something illegal about her latest errant feelings for this one guy, when she's been nothing short of pliant towards the lack of romance in her life.

The outcome of the session will be either good or bad, and she for one is hoping for good. Good meaning that it will be the start to Lucas and Nathan patching things up.

Luke has made it known over the weekend that he's against her tutoring Nathan, but she's refused to drop him.

Every day, he's called or messaged her at least once with his vehement dislike of what she's doing. In the last one, he went as far as telling her that she's playing with fire.

Oh, she knows that she's playing with a fire that may eventually burn her.

Walking out of the house, she's uncertain but she thinks she took extra effort with her hair, clothes and makeup.

She shrugs it off, telling herself that it's not out of the ordinary for her to change jeans thrice, style her hair twice, or test all four of her lip-glosses for the most sensual-looking.

A girl has to look presentable on every day of the week, not just one particular Tuesday where she's meeting a hot basketball player before school.

* * *

He's late.

She scribbles furiously across the page, the pen digging hard into the paper.

It doesn't make sense why she's so worked up when he's not the first late tutee she's ever had.

There's just something about Nathan Scott that drives her up the wall, over it and onto a rollercoaster.

Who is she kidding? The outcome is already favouring the bad.

She looks out again at the walkway, wanting to see him running down it apologizing at the top of his voice.

He's there all right, terribly good-looking and disgustingly confident, but he's strolling like he's going to a wedding, not dashing madly to appease her.

With a tut, she looks down at her page, staring in disbelief at the severe squiggly lines in her notebook.

Flipping the page over, she wills herself to calm down. For her own sake, she needs to be level-headed during the session.

When he's close enough, she says without looking up, "You're late."

That enthralling soap and cologne scent surrounds him as he places takeaway coffee cups on the table and shrugs off his backpack.

"Sorry. Coffee?"

"No, thank you."

"More for me."

Her finger starts to knock rhythmically on the wood, each tap a release of amassed energy.

"You know, you need to take your charm act down a notch."

The words stem from her irritation with him. She's been waiting for fifteen minutes, and the only reason she can come up with on why he's late is that he made a coffee run.

Or probably woke up late in some girl's bed.

She shoves that idea out of her mind, hating the emotions it's invoking.

He may have got her a coffee, but it doesn't change things. He's starting to get the better of her, way too soon.

"Please don't waste my time. I'm already taking a huge chance on you because my instincts are screaming that you're full of sh—"

Her voice is trembling with suppressed rage, and she breaks off, breathing slowly through her nose.

The nervous girl she was this morning is gone.

"Let's just get started, okay?"

Nathan raises the coffee cup to his lips, amusement in his eyes.

"Frosty."

"Excuse me?"

"You're being so cold. You were much nicer on Friday."

"I thought I was judgmental on Friday."

He stares at her for a moment too long that she feels self-conscious about her attempt at humour.

She's never been the girl to leave people in stitches, but she's always thought she could earn a dry chuckle or two.

Nathan bursts out into a raucous laugh, an unexpected sound on her part.

"It wasn't that funny," she mumbles, pushing the math textbook towards him.

He's messing with her. He has to be.

"To me it was."

Folding his hands around the cup, he leans forward, locking gazes with her.

"You know what I think?"

"No."

"I think that you and me are going to get along really nicely," he says in a whisper.

Head still bent over, Haley pauses with her writing, raising her eyes to him.

"You and I."

"Yeah."

"No, I mean…Never mind. Turn the book to page 81."

Get along really nicely?

Thanks to him, her mood is already in the dumps and the sun hasn't fully risen yet.

* * *

"What did he do?"

He hasn't even sat down and he's already grilling her.

With a deadpan expression, Haley raises her head to look at him.

"Hi, Luke."

He slides his tray on the table, turning in the seat so that he's facing her.

"So? Did he try anything stupid?"

"Like feeling me up under my shirt?" she asks dryly, already regretting saying it aloud.

She hasn't given him a reason to think that there's an underlying reason to agreeing to tutor Nathan, but saying some things is like pointing him in the right direction.

"He behaved," she finishes quickly, raising her bottle of juice to her lips.

Lucas grunts softly, reaching for the burger on his plate. "You'd tell me if he disrespected you, right?"

"If I said yes, would you stop asking me about him? I was almost busted in class when you sent me all those messages."

He chews quickly, shaking his head all the while.

"You're my best friend, Haley. Forgive me for looking out for you."

"I forgive you."

He grins at her, taking another big bite of his meal.

"Hey, guys."

Peyton drops her packed lunch with a thud as usual, followed by the pile of sketchbooks that are her regular companion.

"Hey."

Haley finds it peculiar that she doesn't hang out with Brooke. They seemed inseparable for years, but something must have changed. Peyton has taken to joining them at their table.

She pulls out an orange from the brown bag, rolling it across the table towards Lucas.

Haley watches silently as the two share a coy look, grinning slightly to herself at their obvious attraction to each other. They won't be able to pull off being just friends for too long.

Peyton is waving her hand to get her attention and with a blink, Haley gives it to her.

"Huh?"

"There's a party next week. Want to go with?"

"How many parties do people have in this school?"

Being somewhere in the last rungs of the social ladder, it's inevitable that party invites don't come.

"This one's at Nathan's beach house. Well, his dad's beach house."

Haley pauses with her drink. "Nathan Scott?"

"Yep. A celebration to the end of summer. You in, Luke?"

Everyone knows about the tense, nonexistent relationship between the two Scott brothers, and Haley has to give it up to Peyton for asking him to attend Nathan's party in such a casual manner.

He scowls, popping an orange slice into his mouth, mumbling something that sounds a lot like 'over my dead body'.

"Be careful what you wish for," Peyton tells him.

Tuning out their banter, Haley looks around the lively cafeteria. As usual, the cliques are in their appropriate and assigned tables.

The senior jocks and cheerleaders are in the corner table by the bay window, the juniors right behind them.

The creative types in drama and art sit on one side of the cafeteria, while the thinkers in chess and math clubs occupy the other side of the cafeteria.

In the middle row is her and everybody else, the in-betweeners who are neither jocks, cheerleaders, creative types nor geniuses.

Her eyes drift to the jocks, looking out for a particular head of thick, dark hair.

He's sitted between Tim and Rachel, nodding at something that Rachel is saying as she twirls a lock of her hair round and round her finger.

Displeasure starts to fill Haley's head, and she imagines marching over there with a pair of scissors and snipping off those red strands. Or pushing Rachel off the chair.

Returning her gaze to Nathan, she wonders where his confidence comes from. Are some people born with it while others have to work their lives trying to build theirs? Does it develop from the praise and worship that's been bestowed upon them by those around them?

He has the highest self-esteem she has ever seen; even when he was asking her to tutor him, he didn't seem the least bit ashamed at showing her his grade. What would it be like to be involved with someone that brave and secure?

She sighs a little too loudly, and realizing where she is, she focuses on her friends.

Luke is hardly looking at her, but Peyton is observing her keenly.

Peyton looks over her shoulder for a moment; there's a knowing look in her eyes when she turns back.

Looking away from her gaze, Haley clears her throat, taking a long gulp of her drink.

"I gotta go," Lucas says as he rises, gathering his tray. "Mini-golf later?"

She nods, not trusting herself to speak just yet.

It's her turn to reciprocate the knowing look when Peyton's eyes linger on Luke.

Peyton grabs her sketchbook, flipping page after page quickly.

"Be careful, alright?" she says softly without looking up.

* * *

After her shift, Haley makes her way up the stairs leading to the roof of the café.

She's beat, and she still has a bunch of homework to complete.

The door sticks more than usual, and with a tired sigh, she pushes harder at it until it gives.

Cool night air wafts around her, taking away some of the weariness.

Luke is standing across the roof close to the edge, hands in his pockets, looking out into the expanse of the street.

"Hey."

He turns swiftly to face her, pointing his club at her. "Hey. Hope you're ready to lose."

They've built the mini-golf course over the years they've been friends from discarded material. Strings of Christmas lights hanging around provide lighting when they play at night, the ground paved with old carpeting that Karen was disposing from their house before she replaced it.

"Not a chance," she scoffs.

"You first," he says when he gets to her.

"You first. Beauty before brains," she grins, earning a laugh from him.

They start out as they usually do, playing saboteur and ribbing each other on missed hits.

"Burn," Haley gloats when her ball sweeps across one of the lengthier paths.

"I'm gonna get you," Lucas says, positioning himself for his turn.

With the club poised over the ball, he adds, "So you and Nathan."

He's hinting at something, and she won't bite.

"There's no me and Nathan."

Propping a leg against the wall, Haley keeps her face clear as he gives her that inquisitive look.

"What's he like?" he asks, almost shyly.

She shrugs, conjuring up an image of the tall basketball player with the easygoing attitude.

"He's alright. Drinks coffee."

He chuckles, tapping lightly at the ball. "So do a lot of people, Hales."

"Well, I'm only tutoring him so I don't know him that much."

Lucas lets out a soft grunt.

"Do you want to?" he asks, throwing his club over his shoulder.

He's baiting her again, and for the life of her, she can't figure out why he's so adamant about fishing around.

"What do you mean?" she returns, playing dumb.

"He has a reputation, Hales."

She stretches out her sore neck, aching for a long, hot shower. "I've heard."

Luke nods, moving towards her. "I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want you to be just another victim in his string of girls."

His choice of words alarms her, like a look into the future should she focus on Nathan a little too much. She could end up a link between her predecessor and successor.

Haley can only nod, pushing away from the wall to play her turn.

"Just be careful, alright?"

It's the second time in a day that someone is telling her to be careful around Nathan.

At this rate, she may just start thinking of him as a freak show.

"Yeah," she says, hitting her ball a little too hard.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm surprised you wanted us to meet here. I thought you were embarrassed to be seen with me."

It's such an incautious remark, but it nips at her self-analysis.

Why did she really not want them to study at the Tutor Centre? It's not crowded in the mornings. Is she that kind of person, the one embarrassed to be seen with someone because of their reputation?

She's embarrassed to be seen with a popular guy, that's why. People will ask why it is he's breathing the same air she is, whether the world shifted and the nerd is talking to the jock.

_What is he doing with _her_?_

The kiss of death.

The Market Street dock was her personal nirvana, a safe place where comments like those didn't touch her.

"I had an early meeting."

Haley takes a sip of her drink; he has brought her tea every morning for the last few sessions after she told him she wasn't a big fan of coffee. And he's been on time.

"Earlier than this on a weekday?" Nathan asks, reaching for the hem of his sweatshirt.

The motion sends the stark white t-shirt underneath riding over his skin, exposing his toned and firm abdomen.

Unwittingly, her stomach tightens, her breath hitching as she's caught up in the movement.

"I, um…I'm used to it. Don't you wake up early to work out?"

It's an unexpected response, her brain slowly shutting down as like in slow motion, the shirt goes higher and higher.

"Yeah, but never to go for meetings. You're one of those morning people, aren't you?" he says, his voice muffled under the shirt.

There's something execrably evil within her that wants to reach over the table and run her fingers down his stomach.

How tight would it be? How does he get it like that? How would it feel against her own? Would he teach her how to get hers the same way?

When he slams his notebook on the table, she almost screams out in fright.

Feeling like a creep, Haley pretends to look at a spot on the takeaway cup.

It's strange for her to react like that to just the glimpse of his stomach. She's been around shirtless guys, mostly her older brothers' friends and The River Court Guys, but never has she almost drooled like a moron.

Nathan Scott, with his blue eyes the colour of the ocean, has her wanting to throw away the books laid out before them, and then pushing him on the table like an addict who needs a fix.

Nathan Scott, with his husky voice, sexy body and amazing smile, makes her want to kiss him senseless, feeling his large hands digging through her hair, exploring the curves of her body, all the way to the snap of her fire-engine-red bra, and with just a pop—

"Haley."

This time, she jumps.

He's staring at her with amusement, chin propped in his hand.

She feels like an idiot, an idiot who is running a very high fever.

"What?" she croaks, glancing down at her books.

The uneasy silence stretches on for far much longer than she would like. He can probably sniff out her obsession with his body, wondering how he can go about getting a restraining order.

"I'm having a party tomorrow at my parents' beach house. I want you to come."

She's never been to a high school party, leave alone one hosted by Nathan. She hopes that debauch things are not a necessity.

He's looking at her with interest, waiting for her answer. Her suspicions kick into high gear.

"Why?"

"Because I want you to come?" he says, as though the answer is as simple as that.

Without dwelling too much on what Luke will say if she attended one of Nathan's parties, she nods.

It's like talking to a brick wall whenever Nathan's name comes up between them.

At her nod, he grins. "I'll look for you."

"I'm having trouble with the last topic we covered in class," he says seriously, flipping a page of the textbook. "Mr. Yoder said that the next test will cover it."

She nods without looking up, concentrating on finding the page with the right notes.

She's figuring him out little by little.

It may be that he has many people surrounding him, it may be that he seems to have an affable personality around his friends, but there's something about him that tells her he's lonely.

The popularity is a front, a shield against things she doesn't understand just yet.

She's scared and thrilled all at the same time about finding out.

* * *

Peyton has made herself at home in her room, lounging on her bed like they've been friends for years.

"Nope, not that one."

"You're not even looking."

"I don't have to look at it to know that it's not the one."

"Well, I'm out of options."

Peyton lifts her eyes from the rough paper she's sketching on, frowning at the black one-piece.

"You're not sixty, Hales," she says, sliding off the bed and padding to the chest of drawers.

"Sixty? I'll have you know that I get complimented when I wear this one."

"By whom? Creepy middle-aged men who prowl the beach?"

Peyton starts to rummage through the top drawer, and then smiles triumphantly like she's found something.

"What is this?" she asks in wonder, pulling out a purple two-piece that was hidden in the back.

When Haley reaches for it, Peyton draws her arm away.

"Just a Christmas gag gift from my sister."

Peyton holds out the top of the suit, looking back and forth between it and Haley.

"I don't get the joke. Is it supposed to glow in the dark or something?"

The moment Haley saw it in its packaging, she just stashed it away, knowing that there was never going to be a chance for her to wear it.

"I don't wear bikinis. That's the joke."

A waste of money for Taylor to have gotten it for her in the first place; a gift card would have been more appreciated.

"This is it, Haley. This is what you're wearing tonight."

"No. I can't."

"Why not? Doesn't it fit?"

Haley glares at the suit like it's a death ray. "It's not my style."

Peyton sighs exasperatedly, grabbing a pair of shorts and thrusting the items at her.

"You've never even tried it on, have you?"

She shakes her head, letting the suit hang by a string over her finger.

"Keep an open mind and just put it on," Peyton says, pushing her towards the door.

"I have a feeling it's perfect for you."

Her eyes dart across the hallway as she returns to her room, as though worried that there are people in the house other than Peyton, people waiting to laugh at what she's wearing.

"Holy Moses."

Shifting uncomfortably, Haley wraps her arms across her chest, embarrassed.

The purple bikini top ties at the neck and back, the underwire pushing up her breasts in a way that leaves her feeling like they're fake.

"It's that bad?"

Peyton starts clapping, and it makes Haley want to duck into her closet.

"You look incredible! Turn around."

"No."

"Just do it. Drop the shorts."

"Hell, no. I'm not planning on dropping them here or elsewhere."

She's going to cling on to them for dear life should a laser beam strike her tonight.

"You're stubborn. Okay, come here."

Peyton whips out a small black case from her bag, pulling it open.

Haley looks at it with caution. "What's that?"

"Grand finale."

Taking a glance at the assortment of colours in the case, she points to the subtle shades she prefers.

"Not too much."

"I know."

In just a minute, Peyton is done, turning her to face the mirror.

"You look great," she says, a wide smile on her lips. "Nathan is going to choke on something."

At the mention of his name, Haley's eyes widen. "What…what are you talking about?"

Peyton chuckles amusedly, grabbing her tote bag from the bed. She holds out the paper she was sketching on as she brushes past.

"Don't worry. I'm keeping it to myself that you have an animalistic attraction towards each other."

Looking down at the page, Haley just gapes at the letters.

HJ+NS.

Luke was right; she's a bold girl, Peyton Sawyer.

* * *

"It's no wonder you could have run me over."

Haley combs her fingers through her hair, her knees wobbly as she grabs the handrail of the beach house.

"Why do you drive like that?"

She looks back at the'63 Comet, top down, Peyton rifling through the glove box.

"Drive like what?" Peyton asks as she steps out, clueless.

Haley just shakes her head, looking at where Peyton has parked. She's squeezed the convertible into a small space between a truck and the staircase, the bumper halfway into the bushes growing by the side of the house.

A peal of laughter from the end of the porch startles her. Sitting on the sofa is a couple with drinks in their hands, the girl's face hidden by the cave of her hair, the guy's buried in her neck.

Horrified at being a peeping Tom, Haley looks away, stepping into the house.

The interior of the beach house is elegantly decorated, expensive-looking pieces of art and antiques hanging on pale yellow walls and resting on tabletops. The carpet is not the cheap kind, either; it's a warm beige that probably costs more than she makes tutoring for a year.

Family photographs hang amongst the artwork, some showing Nathan in various stages of growth.

Haley wants to linger and look at each one, but it's making her antsy that there aren't that many people around.

Music is blaring around the house like it should at a party, but there are only a few people around. She's always thought that Nathan's parties were a must-attend from the stories she's heard.

"Are we too early?" she asks, wondering where everyone is. Was she so eager to attend the party that she got there distastefully early?

Peyton chuckles softly, taking her hand and leading her through the living room, the noise increasing the further they move in the direction of the deck.

She slides the patio door open.

The party is in the back, in the section of the house that is beachfront.

Students clad in a variety of swimwear are scattered around the beach in clusters, shrieks of laughter carrying over the music that's pulsing through speakers set up in two corners of the house.

There's a flaming fire pit hemmed in by rocks, branches and twigs crackling ablaze.

"This is where the party is," Peyton says, starting down the wooden steps.

It's nerve-wracking for Haley being out in public in the bikini and tiny shorts.

She's always worn a one-piece, and always attached to her hips were shorts that covered more.

Recognizable faces are staring at her, faces that usually don't give her the time of day when she's in regular clothes.

A horrible feeling comes over her and she discreetly stares down at her chest, pretending that there's something interesting on the sand.

Everything is intact, but all those gazes on her are making her very uncomfortable, especially when they whisper to their friends while still looking at her.

She should have worn her t-shirt. She shouldn't have let Peyton persuade her into not wearing it.

"Why are they staring? This was a very, very bad idea, Peyton."

"They're staring because you have boobs. I can't believe you hide such a rack, Haley."

"Oh, God."

"What? I'm telling it as it is. You have some really nice ones. I look like a boy next to you."

She swears her whole body is turning crimson, and she's acutely aware of her breasts in their bared glory.

The swimsuit is not the least bit scandalous, but for a girl who prefers not to show skin, she's worried that with just one wrong move, she'll be giving everyone a free show.

"Stay cool, okay? Don't trip and fall. Sand is very unkind to the mouth."

In a different circumstance, she would be doubling over in laughter at Peyton's comments.

She can be clumsy, and adding her stoked nerves, there's a likelihood that her feet will forget how to move correctly and she'll be face flat in the sand.

"I—"

Peyton's already gone, hollering and waving at a group near the makeshift bar a little farther away from the bonfire.

Feeling naked, vulnerable and out of place, Haley swallows back the slew of curses rising at the back of her throat.

Her eyes scurry around, like a scared rabbit about to be condemned for slaughter. She flits from one face to the next, her eyes widening slightly when she meets a pair of familiar blue ones across the bonfire.

Since the first day of the school term, since the first day of tutoring, those eyes have haunted her dreams and waking thoughts.

He's surrounded by a group of buffed up varsity players and flirty cheerleaders in barely-there bikinis.

Every other guy on the beach evokes nothing within her but him, he gives her fever. His tanned and bare torso, wide shoulders, the tautness of his six-pack disappearing into the band of his swim shorts…

Nathan Scott is the most delectable thing on two legs she's ever seen.

He, on the other hand, looks her up and down in appreciation.

Under her breath, she mutters "Oh my God" over and over again as his gaze leaves scorching marks on her body.

For a moment, she wants to lower the shirt she's holding and let him really drink her in. She's always considered herself a sane and rational person, but when it comes to Nathan Scott, she's on the brink of madness when her body reacts like that to him.

Wringing the t-shirt bunched up in her chest, she gulps hard, trying to focus on his face instead of his perfect, perfect abs.

He raises the plastic cup in his hand to her, giving her a nod.

With a slight smile, she breaks eye contact, still in a daze as she stumblingly trails after Peyton towards the drinks.

She hangs back as Peyton greets the people around her, giving them all a smile when she's introduced.

Most of them are seniors, and after giving her a polite nod, she's insignificant.

She feels awkward, like an unwanted that has no clue on how to start up a conversation. If Luke were here, it would make things easier for her.

Peyton throws a few questions her way, and all she does is agree. She doesn't know half of what they're talking about, something to do with murals for drama club.

"Are you lost?" a voice pipes up from behind her.

Turning around, Haley finds herself face to face with Rachel Gatina.

A tickle of irritation starts to glide down her spine.

She looks at her coolly before saying, "No. I'm good."

"You realize that there's no chocolate milk here."

Soft chuckles go around the small group.

Irritated, Haley snaps, "Is this your party?"

"Back off, Rachel," Peyton says angrily.

Rachel leans forward into Haley's face, her eyes glazed over from alcohol and anger.

"So the virgin also needs people to stand up for her, huh?"

She has nothing to retort with, and she hates it. For Rachel to get away with insulting her like that is just maddening.

Her face tomato-red, lips set in a grim line, Haley takes a step back, trudging down the beach.

* * *

After a lengthy walk up and down the beach, she makes her way up to the wooden dock.

The tide is low, waves rolling and breaking along the shore with a soft drone. The light of the moon stretches out over the surface of the water, warm, salty ocean air blowing along with the wind.

There are a few stragglers playing volleyball down the beach, a group that has probably broken away from the main party.

She doesn't understand why Rachel was being so hostile. They barely know each other, leave alone share any classes.

She's not ashamed of not being sexually active, she just doesn't advertise it. It's her personal business, and for someone to use it as an insult is distasteful.

"You're supposed to talk to people at these things, you know."

Startled, she jumps slightly on the edge of the dock, hand over her heart.

She didn't hear him, yet the wood was squeaking and groaning when she was walking down the dock earlier.

"You scared the f—"

Nathan grins when she breaks off, shaking his head in amusement.

"Here I thought you were not as corrupted as the rest of us."

"You think too highly of me," she grins back.

With a laugh, he drops down beside her, holding out a blue plastic cup.

"Orange soda."

Their fingers brush against each other's as she accepts the cup, gazes holding for moment before Haley turns away.

"Thank you."

"You okay?" he asks in a soft whisper. "What Rachel did back there…"

"Another night in the life of," Haley answers dismissively, but still ticked off at Rachel's high-and-mighty attitude.

She's embarrassed that he witnessed it, more so at the fact that Rachel called her a virgin.

It shouldn't bother her, but it does that Nathan now knows it, too.

They sit quietly, staring out at the water. On the shore, ocean waves lap gently against each other, white froth rising whenever they crash together.

He's either really warm or she's freezing; his skin so close against her own is emitting some heat that sends awareness coursing through her.

"So what did you do for the summer?" he asks suddenly.

Haley takes another small sip. "Work. You?"

"Camp," he says, finishing with a scoff.

"Crafting camp?" she teases.

He laughs softly, taking a drink from his cup.

"My dad has this thing about me not enjoying summer like a regular kid and shipping me off to basketball camp."

Unsure of what to say, Haley stares out into the water. "Where was it?"

"Florida. This one's really good. Scouts came down to see some games, pick out who they should be on the lookout for."

Haley watches him closely, not missing the thoughtful look on his face, like his mind has retreated someplace else.

"Were you picked out?"

He shrugs, sighing before turning to her. "Better luck next time, I guess."

The sound of crashing water waves laps up the silence between them.

Haley drinks in a gulp of the salty air before asking, "Why do you hate Lucas?"

Nathan gives her a questioning look, but she doesn't falter from it. On the opposite end of the spectrum he's there, and she's curious as to why he hates Lucas.

"I don't hate him. I'm just…indifferent to him."

"Have you guys ever actually talked?"

"Yeah, sure. We trade emails, too."

"I'm serious. You're both so…hypersensitive around each other, and I get it, but—"

"What's this? An intervention?"

"I'm just trying to bring some perspective."

"I invited him to the stinking party, but he didn't show. I'm trying to include him but obviously, the guy took it the wrong way."

"Well, if you asked him to come in such a welcoming tone, it's no wonder he didn't show."

Nathan grunts, draining his cup and then looking into it with scorn.

"I should have put more alcohol in this."

Taking a long sip of her drink, Haley tries not to laugh at the frustration in his voice.

She swears she can feel the tension in Nathan ebb and flow out of him until his fist is uncurled where it rests on his thigh.

"You know what I like about you?" he asks unexpectedly.

A trace of a quirky smile lingers on his lips as he studies her.

"What?"

"You're the most patient person I know, you don't go postal on me during tutoring and you don't treat me like some kind of moron. I really appreciate that. But…"

"But what?"

"I get the feeling that you don't like me that much."

Haley laughs briefly, her fingers trembling as she brings the cup to her lips, cursing silently at her reaction to him.

"What really bothers you about me? It just can't be because I don't get along with your boyfriend."

"My boyfriend?"

"Lucas."

His eyes are daring her to say something about it, to deny or confirm whether she really is involved with Lucas.

Pressing her lips together in a tight line, Haley says flatly, "Your reputation."

He quirks an eyebrow, a half-smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

"And what reputation would that be?"

Haley doesn't respond immediately, holding his gaze steadily. "You're a player."

"Basketball, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Funny."

A breeze blows, causing her to shudder visibly. She can't tell whether that shiver has more to do with the wind or Nathan.

"Are you cold?" he asks, looking at her bare arm.

"I'm not used to wearing so little."

Clamping her mouth shut, Haley feels her face heat up. Of all the things to say.

"You look amazing," he says in a throaty whisper.

Speechless, her eyes wander past him to the inky sky. Her mouth feels like it's been stuffed full of the sand around them.

"Thanks."

At that moment, she hears the loud wails of the hazard lights flashing in her head of getting too involved with Nathan.

He's a player, she mentally recites repeatedly.

His lips form a wry smile, his eyes flashing with pleasure.

"You want a Cracker Jack?"

She blinks up at him before staring down at his hands; big hands with neatly trimmed nails that slide the small pack out of his pocket, ripping the paper.

A plastic bracelet with multi-coloured beads falls to the palm of his hand.

"Not a cheat sheet," he mutters with a slight laugh.

He then looks at her, his eyes appearing navy in the night. He reaches for her hand, holding onto it for a moment before sliding the bracelet on her wrist.

"Don't say I never gave you anything," he says, his warm thumb stroking her flesh gently, eyes never wavering from hers.

The intensity of the moment throws Haley. She knows that he's interested in her, but she's not too brazen to act on it. Even if she were, he could snub her, perhaps laugh and ask what she's doing.

She couldn't take it.

"HALEY!"

They jump apart like they've been caught doing something appalling, both looking over their shoulders at the intruder.

Peyton is standing at the opposite edge of the dock.

"I'm leaving! Hey, Nate!"

"Hey, Sawyer!"

Leaping to her feet, Haley clutches her t-shirt close to her chest.

"I-I gotta go."

Nathan rises to his full height, and she feels diminutive in comparison. He's taller and bigger, masculine.

"I can give you a ride if you want to stay longer," he offers.

As much as she would want that, the last thing she needs is Lucas going into a fit over Nathan dropping her home.

"No. It's fine. I, um…"

Not knowing what to do, she sticks her hand out at him. He looks down at it, a smile crossing his face in pure amusement. Hers is small against his, and for the briefest moments, she wonders what it would really feel like to hold his hand, fingers laced with fingers.

"Thanks for the drink," she says, feeling like a complete idiot for the gesture.

That boyish grin spreads wider. "You're welcome."

Her legs are shaking as she hurries down the dock, aware of Nathan's eyes on her scantily dressed back.

"Had fun?" Peyton asks, an amused expression on her face as they start for the beach house.

Haley answers with a noncommittal grunt, wondering what would have happened if Peyton hadn't shown up.

With the way things were going, she's sure she would have given in to her curiosity and kissed him, humiliation be damned.

"I thought you wanted to stay until much later."

Peyton rolls her eyes, taking out her cell phone from her pocket.

"Lucas is driving me crazy. And not in a good way. He refused to come, and now he's giving me grief for coming."

Haley laughs, somewhat shakily, still reeling from what could have happened moments ago. "You two are weird."

"What, did he say I'm crazy? Unbelievable!"

Her thumbs fly across the keypad, and Haley has to lead her by the elbow just so she doesn't trip.

"No. He thinks you're awesome."

Peyton stops, a smile on her face as she tucks her hair behind her ear, like she's shy.

"Really? He said that?"

Haley nods, unable to hide her grin. Just friends, her big toe. Peyton likes Lucas more than a friend.

"Yes, he did. Don't hurt him."

She's serious about the last thing, and Peyton dips her head in understanding.

They start to walk again, Peyton focusing on her phone.

"It was nice of him to put Rachel in her place," she says quietly.

"Who?"

"Nathan."

She immediately grabs Peyton's arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"What did he do?"

"He told her to leave, and she did."

He stood up for her. That has to be another sign.

"Where did you get that?" Peyton asks, pointing to the bracelet.

Haley doesn't respond, but she's sure that her silence is a good-enough answer.

"Cool," Peyton says, forging ahead.


	6. Chapter 6

"Haley!"

Raising her head from the paper before her, she clears her mind from what she's been doing. The smile comes automatically when she realizes it's him.

"Hey! How's it going?"

Nathan takes a few short strides to the bench, plunking down beside her.

"Okay. You?"

She hasn't seen him since the party, but she's thought of him plenty of times that people are starting to notice her daydreaming.

"Long day. Is practice over?" she asks, looking over at the gym door.

"Yeah. You're wearing it," he says, pointing to her wrist.

She looks down at the bracelet, smoothing out her floral-print blouse. It's a cheap little thing but she likes it; he gave it to her.

"Matched with my outfit today," she grins.

He laughs, propping an arm on the back of the bench. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for my ride."

The bench may be roomy, but sitting so close to him, knees almost touching, her heart is beating fast. She makes busy putting her things away in her bag, save for one paper.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you," she says, handing it to him.

"81?" he asks, a little frown crossing his brow.

"Nice work, Scott."

After studying the paper for a moment, he raises his head, astonishment in his eyes.

"Are you sure this is mine?"

She smiles and nods.

"Alright."

He's wearing that smile that makes her stomach do a little flip. She laughs at his excitement, wanting to slide her arms around him for a hug.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything like this in any of my exams," he says with a relieved sigh. "This is cool."

"You're doing really great, Nathan," she says with utter sincerity.

He flashes the toothy grin. "I have a good tutor."

She can feel the familiar bloom of heat stealing over her cheeks.

Something she can't identify then flickers in his eyes, and it reminds her of that night on the dock when he slipped the bracelet on her wrist.

His eyes had darkened, like with hunger and anxiety, giving the impression that he had intent to kiss her. The physical awareness is not one-sided, it appears.

He seems to stare at her forever before he blinks, as if he's just resisted giving in to temptation. Just like that, the mood dissipates. And it's pushing her closer to the edge.

"Hey, are you coming to the game tomorrow?" he asks, looking away momentarily.

Haley hates herself for constantly feeling like a lovesick fool whenever he's around. She swears it's killing her brain cells.

"No. I gotta work."

He angles his head to the side, a lopsided grin lurking around his mouth.

"You want to make a deal?"

"A deal?"

There's a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"I have an English exam tomorrow. If I get above an 81, you have to do something for me."

She swallows past the dryness in her mouth. "What?"

He bends his head close to hers, saying softly, "You will come to the next game."

They gaze at each other for several seconds, his brow raised as he looks down at her, waiting for an answer.

With a half-smirk, she nods, accepting the challenge. Secretly, she just wants to see him play.

"Anything less than an 81, I'm staying home and watching _The Office_."

He grimaces in mock horror. "_The Office_? I don't think we should talk anymore."

"You say the nicest things," she throws back. "I'll have you know that it's a very funny show."

She had misjudged him. He is an interesting guy with a great sense of humour, a disposition that makes her feel at ease, and he's not bad to look at. It's no wonder girls throw themselves at his feet.

The sound of the opening door halts their conversation. For a moment, no one speaks, and then Haley clears her throat.

"Hey, Luke."

His gaze moves to Nathan, a questioning look in his eyes.

"Hey. You ready?" he asks, addressing her but still looking at Nathan.

"Thanks for this," Nathan says, raising the rolled up paper as he gets up from the bench.

"I'll see you later."

He nods slightly at Lucas as he passes by before slipping through the door.

Grabbing her bag, Haley jumps up, starting for the parking lot.

"What was that about?" Luke asks, glancing over his shoulder.

"Tutoring. How did it go today?"

He doesn't answer right away, a thoughtful expression on his face as he looks down at her.

Haley hopes that there's nothing out of the ordinary on her face, but her heated cheeks may just sell her out.

"Something weird happened during practice."

"Did someone's hand linger too long when they slapped your butt?" she chuckles, a little nervous.

"Nathan passed me the ball."

"Isn't that how basketball works?"

Luke shakes his head, switching his bag to his other arm.

"He's never done that. In all the time I've been on the team, that little putz has never passed me the ball himself."

"Maybe he's seen the value of teamwork."

Lucas just huffs. "What is he playing at?"

"Have you considered that he's probably not playing at anything? That he's holding out an olive branch?"

The Nathan Scott she knows hasn't proven to her his reputation of being a jerk. He's…nice.

They stop beside his truck, but Luke doesn't move to the driver's side. She hates it when he does that, glaring at her in such an intimidating manner that she's afraid he can read her mind.

"What?"

"You know, I'm starting to think that there's something between you two."

Haley scoffs, pushing him aside to open the door. Her fingers are shaking.

"You mean because you caught us discussing his test exam?"

Once buckled in, she reaches for the door but he's gripping it tightly.

"It would be nice if you stopped treating me like some kind of idiot. What's going on?"

"Nothing."

He squints even further, not dislodging his grip on the door.

"I don't believe you, but whatever."

With a glance at her bared wrist, he lets go of the door. "Nice bracelet."

Haley is staring ahead as they pull out of the lot, not knowing what to say to him.

They drive in tense silence until they get to the stop sign at the end of the street.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Luke," she mumbles, twirling the bracelet around her wrist.

"The truth would be nice," he replies a little too harshly.

Reigning in her irritation, Haley just shakes her head. "There's no truth to tell."

With that, they ride in that silence, the wedge forming between them growing bigger with distance.

* * *

Haley has always hated it when she fought with Lucas. Or anyone for that matter.

Fights stress her out, a knot in her stomach tightening and growing with every passing moment that they don't patch things up.

She feels like she's doing something wrong just by being around Nathan, something that Lucas would never understand if she came right out and said it.

What he wants her to say, she can't even put into words. She would feel like an idiot telling him, appearing like just another girl in Tree Hill High who is awed by the great Nathan Scott.

The mere fact that Luke hates Nathan is the deciding factor. She's damned if she tells him about her recent feelings for Nathan, and she's damned if she doesn't.

Packing up her things, Haley sighs, the sound heavy in the quiet Tutor Centre.

They seemed to have avoided each other today, and she's settled on waiting for the weekend to talk to him. Perhaps by then Lucas will have calmed down enough for her to approach him and have that honest conversation he really wants. Perhaps by then she will have grown a backbone that will push her to revealing the strange feelings she has for Nathan.

The door to the Tutor Centre starts to faintly creak open, and over her shoulder, she calls out, "We're closed for—"

Nathan is standing by the door, a paper rolled up in his hand. He's the last person she wants to see, the uncanny ability he has of giving her butterflies in her stomach. With the knot she has, it's an almost-nauseating sensation.

"What are you doing here?" she asks a little too cruelly.

He seems surprised at her unpleasant tone, and she instantly feels like a class-A bitch.

"Sorry," she breathes, rubbing at her temple.

He may be the root of why she's in a silent war with her best friend, but that's all on her, not him.

He moves quickly to the table where she's standing by, a frown on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asks softly, his finger brushing her arm.

She wants to lean in to him and spill the beans, but this is just between her and Lucas.

"Some stress," is all she says.

"Anything I can do?" he offers, in that kind tone that turns her insides into marshmallows each time.

"No, but thank you. What brings you by?"

He studies her for a couple more seconds before straightening the paper in his hand.

"Check that out."

Pride courses through her when she sees the grade in the far corner.

"An 84? This is great, Nathan! Congratulations!"

With a little laugh, Haley closes the distance between them, putting her arms around him.

She immediately pulls away, regretting the impulsive hug. "Sorry."

He smirks, shaking his head. "I was wondering when I'd finally get a hug."

She laughs, punching his arm should she give him another hug, a longer one at that.

"Now you owe me," he says, lowering his face close to hers.

"I do?"

"You said that you'd come to a game if I got anything above an 81."

"I did?"

"You did. And there's a game next week."

Nathan straightens, moving backwards as he starts to leave the room.

"I'll look for you."

She's still smiling as the door shuts behind him.

They are from two different worlds. He drives a brand-new convertible and she takes the bus, or mooches off rides from people who drive second-hand sedans and trucks.

He looks like a model in a catalogue of teen guys' casual wear, whereas she looks like a before-shot in a makeover contest.

Further, they seemingly have nothing in common. Except Lucas, a rather reluctant player who wants no part of it.

At the thought of Lucas, her smile fades and she sighs yet again.

The brewing trouble has just started boiling over.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for your reviews yesterday! Most I've ever gotten for a single chapter, and each one made my day!**

* * *

"I keep telling myself that I won't ride with you ever again, yet here we are."

They're not late, and they're able to find seats in the middle row of the gymnasium.

The teams are warming up on the court, and Haley spots Nathan immediately. He always looks good in the Ravens warm-up tracksuit, the dark blue colour complimenting his skin tone rather well.

"Beggars cannot be choosers."

Peyton starts to pull out her pile of snacks, a bag of potato chips, two bars of chocolate, a bottle of soda and one of water.

"Is there a scheduled time for a picnic?"

With a laugh, Peyton tears open the bag of chips. "If we were on a date, I would punch you for asking that."

"Don't tell me you've ever punched a date."

"Nope. I once stood in line at the post office and some old geezer wanted to meet my dad to ask for my hand in marriage. That guy I could have punched."

Haley can only gaze at Peyton in bewilderment. "Well, thank God your surliness turned him off."

"Oh, no. That's what turned him on in the first place," Peyton grins, holding out the chips.

On one side of the gym is the home team's cheerleaders, and on the other, Tree Hill High's. Some of the Ravens' cheerleaders are sitted on the floor stretching, while others are practicing moves that look too dangerous for hardwood.

"Do you miss it?" Haley asks, her chin jutting towards the cheerleaders.

Peyton follows her field of vision, and then shakes her head. "Bloomers? No."

They both chuckle, Haley gulping down a sip of her water.

"Cheerleading was more Brooke's thing than mine," Peyton says.

Haley nods, looking back and forth between Peyton and the dark-haired cheerleader.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Did you fall out with her? Brooke?"

Peyton stops mid-chew, a chip on the tip of her lips.

"It's just that you guys seemed really close for years and I haven't seen you together at all since school started."

She's seen them snub each other.

Peyton chews thoughtfully for a moment, sadness clouding her face.

"It was my fault, and I don't blame her for ditching me. Hard to trust someone who betrays your friendship."

"She seems nice. I'm sure she'll forgive you."

Peyton just shrugs, her gaze on Brooke for a moment before she looks away.

"Yeah."

She smiles weakly, her head tilting slightly to the side as if a thought suddenly came to her.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Have you and Lucas ever, you know?"

"No," Haley says quickly, making a face.

It always seems impossible to people that a girl and a guy can't be friends without one having romantic feelings for the other.

"Never?"

"Never."

They have never seen each other as anything other than each other's good friend.

Peyton nods repeatedly like she's mulling it over. "He's a cool guy. I haven't known many cool guys."

Haley agrees softly, looking out into the court for Luke. He's with Whitey, appearing to be intensely concentrating on whatever the coach is saying.

"I won't hurt him. Not on purpose, anyway."

As their quiet laughs die, Haley's eyes drift elsewhere, to the opposite side of the court where Nathan is. The tanned, dark-haired brother who she has more than platonic feelings for.

He throws the ball to a teammate in a fluid move, and then looks around the gym. She sits up a little straighter, wondering if he's searching for her in the crowd.

"I wonder who he's looking for," Peyton mutters, clamping her teeth around a chip.

Haley ignores her, but she can feel warmth rising on her cheeks. Her knee starts to bop, and she places her elbows over her thighs, propping her chin on her joined hands to stop the movement. The sleeves of her sweater slip down, revealing the colourful bracelet on her right wrist.

Nathan's eyes connect with hers, and like in slow motion, she watches him jog over close to where they're seated. He smiles, giving her a tiny nod to acknowledge that he's seen her. She smiles back, his sly grin sending her heart fluttering.

"Now we know who he was looking for," Peyton mutters.

Haley wiggles her fingers slightly at Nathan, and with another grin and nod, he rejoins his teammates.

"The kind of chemistry you two have should be acted upon, not suppressed."

"Shush."

Her eyes meet Luke's narrow-eyed glare and she freezes, not knowing how to react. He may be listening to Whitey but he's watching her. And then his gaze falls to Nathan.

They called a semi-truce over the week, a truce that swept his questions about her relationship with Nathan under the rug.

Through sheer will, Haley maintains the frozen grin on her face as she gives him a thumbs up.

"I am so dead," she tells Peyton from the side of her mouth.

Luke doesn't acknowledge her gesture, his jaw tight as he turns away from her.

Haley breathes out heavily, twisting the cap off her bottle and taking a healthy swig.

"He'll get over it," Peyton says, biting into a bar of white chocolate.

"Want some?"

* * *

Anxiously and impatiently, she waits for him outside the gym.

Most of the spectators have left, and she's lingering beside the main door where Luke will easily see her.

Gnawing on her bottom lip, she tries to formulate what she's going to say. At this point, honesty is the only option. It would be stupid of her to deny things after the wordless exchange between her and Nathan that Lucas witnessed before the game.

Things would be so much easier if Luke wasn't sensitive about Nathan.

"You lied to me, Haley."

She jumps, having not heard the door open. His light blue dress shirt is unbuttoned at the collar, showing the white t-shirt underneath, tie carelessly hung around his neck. Whitey has made it a requirement that players dress officially on game days.

Pushing away from the wall, she falls in step with him. "I didn't. I just…"

She sighs, hanging her head. "I like him, okay? And the fact that it may not be reciprocated is embarrassing."

Luke curses, his jaw ticking rapidly. "You like that son of a—"

"Don't. He's a nice guy."

He grunts with disgust, stuffing a hand in his pocket. "Yeah, right."

She pulls at his sleeve, saying, "Come on, Luke. What are the odds that he would like me back? It's just a crush."

And she's not doing herself any favours by tutoring Nathan.

He stops, squinting down at her. "Don't sell yourself short, Hales. If Nathan doesn't see how special and wonderful you really are, he's an idiot."

She gives him a silly grin as his words hang in the air.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," she says softly as they start for the bus.

"I know how things are between you two and I didn't want to make them worse."

He curses repeatedly, and she doesn't say a word as he's getting used to the idea that she likes Nathan.

Being open has changed things. Perhaps not completely since Nathan is unaware of her feelings, but Luke's knowledge of them has changed something about the brothers' relationship, or lack thereof.

"Are we good?" she asks when he's quiet for a lengthy moment.

He sighs heavily, throwing an arm around her and pulling her into a hug.

"I don't like it, but we're good," he mumbles, looking down at her.

She nods, patting his back in gratitude. "Thank you."

Lucas runs a hand down his face, like he's still unconvinced that she actually likes Nathan.

Haley looks away to the parking lot, not focused on anyone or anything in particular.

"Peyton's waiting for you."

He looks around sharply. "What?"

"She's parked close to the gate. I'll take the bus."

He shakes his head repeatedly. "No. You'll come with us."

"No. I'm going on the school bus."

"How will you get home?"

"There are public buses, Luke, that I take all the time. Would you rather talk to me, someone you have no romantic involvement with, than be with Peyton alone for the drive home and hope to get to third base?"

Colour skulks on his cheeks.

"See? We'll talk later," she grins, urging him to move. "And good luck."

With a squeeze on her arm, he moves towards the front of the school.

Poor guy. He's going to flip when he realizes that Peyton's a maniac driver, if he doesn't know already.

Letting out a soft sigh, Haley steps into the noisy school bus, hands stuffed into her pockets. Most of the seats are taken, people seated in pairs, none of them those she would even consider acquaintances.

She settles in the only seat available, at the front of the bus behind Coach Durham.

A few pages into her book, the group of remaining players starts stepping noisily into the bus, their loud laughter in low baritones carrying high over the rest of the racket in the bus.

Even without looking, Haley knows Nathan is somewhere in that group.

It's in the way her heart has taken a nosedive.

It's in the way her breath feels hitched in her throat.

It's in the way her hands are clammy around the covers of the book as she tries to understand what the heck Shakespeare is trying to say.

Her eyes are glued to that one word at the top of the page, unable to read anything past it.

_Thou._

She's creating her own commandments as she waits for them to walk past, unaware of her presence. At the same time, she's hoping that the one boy she wants to notice her won't think of her as a misplaced wall sticker.

_Thou shall not covet a slutty cheerleader's target._

_Thou shall not daydream about Nathan Scott's dreamy ocean-blue eyes._

_Thou shall not wish that Nathan Scott will ask you out._

_Thou shall not wish that Nathan Scott will be clumsy right now and fall towards you, his lips accidentally finding yours—_

"I'll sit here."

_Thou shall not wish that "here" applies to you._

There's a moment of silence from the group before one of them asks, "You sure, man?"

She knows that voice. Tim Smith, one of Nathan's friends who is fond of making nasty remarks during class.

"Yeah."

That one belongs to the boy she's been thinking so much about lately.

She can feel her heart thudding at an impossible speed as he sits beside her, his cologne wafting around her. The scent of it makes her want to take his arm, wrap it around her shoulders and bury her face in his shirt. She has to restrain herself from inhaling like some crazy stalker.

"I'm not invisible, you know."

She can't help the little smile that comes at the corner of her mouth.

She hasn't been able to think of much else but Nathan lately. He's crept up in her thoughts during conversations with friends, during tutoring sessions, during shifts at the cafe. Her eyes search for him, no matter how much she lies to herself that she doesn't care what he's doing.

She finds herself staring out windows and doors, wishing that he would pass by. She imagines them being the two main characters in a film, and they'd bump straight into each other around a corner, his arms going around her to steady her.

She has become so attuned to the reactions he brings out in her that she knows when he's around.

"Thanks for coming, by the way," he adds, his breath on her cheek.

Attempting to play it cool, Haley raises her head, giving him a smile.

His hair is slightly damp and tousled, his blue eyes looking extra dark. He doesn't seem disinterested but he doesn't seem overly eager to speed things up between them.

"A deal's a deal, right?"

With a laugh, he leans back into the headrest of the seat. "I should make 81 the minimum score in any of my quizzes to get you to come cheer for me."

She chooses not to overanalyze that phrase, lest she start making up more scenarios that include candlelit dinners and frolicking on the beach.

He looked like a god on the court, an artist with a basketball.

"I thought the team worked really well together."

"Me and Lucas, you mean?"

Before she can reply, a flame-haired cheerleader leans over their seat, her chest practically brushing his shoulder.

"Hey, Nate. I saved you a spot back there."

Lifting her gaze to Rachel's face, Haley assesses her coolly for a moment. She then turns away, refusing to see Nathan's reaction to the buxom cheerleader's flirtatious ways. Not seeing does not equal not hearing.

"I'm okay here," he says.

She swears that she can hear Rachel pouting.

"Are you sure? There's a lot we can do in the back."

Stifling a groan of disgust, Haley stares at the page of the book, her eyes unmoving as the cat-and-mouse game beside her goes on.

"I'm sure."

Unable to help it, Haley looks up at Rachel to see her reaction. Rachel's lips are set in an angry frown.

"Fine," she says through clenched teeth.

She glances at Haley and adds sarcastically, "Nice hat."

After she's gone, Haley's eyes rise to Nathan's face.

"Sorry," he apologizes.

Desperate being the last thing she wants to appear, she just smiles faintly at him.

"Does that happen a lot?"

"What?"

Her head jerks slightly towards the back of the bus. "Girls asking you to sit with them."

He shrugs, like the question is not important.

"Why were you eating lunch alone at the bleachers today?"

"What?"

"I saw you today at the bleachers."

"My meeting got cancelled and it was nice out. Were you in the field?"

"The parking lot." He leans in conspiratorially. "Taking a nap."

She breaks out into amused laughter. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. When I'm tired or when I need a break."

"Sometimes I find a secluded corner in the Tutor Centre and just take a nap. I'm yet to be busted."

"You're beautiful when you laugh," he says softly when their laughter fades, something inscrutable in his eyes.

"Only when I laugh?" she asks, feeling a flush cover her face. Her voice is rough, and she's half-alert of what else is happening around them.

He thinks she's beautiful?

"No."

The lights in the bus go off and for half a second, conversations dull before they pick up again, this time more loudly and animatedly.

Nathan clears his throat, rubbing his palms down his jeans.

"I heard that Sheryl Crow's having a concert in Goldsboro. Are you going?"

He didn't forget what she was listening to the time she agreed to tutor him.

"I can't. My parents are around that weekend and I haven't seen them in ages."

This has been her mother's longest assignment yet. They left at the middle of the summer for Maine and as much as she enjoyed having the house to herself, when Taylor wasn't coming by to party with her friends in a ruse of checking up on her, she's missed them.

"The elusive parents make an appearance. Does it bother you?"

A grin tugs at her mouth. "That they're away so much? Not really. I do miss them but I'm used to it."

"I wish my dad could get a job like that."

Her hand automatically goes over his before she realizes what she's doing.

They both glance down at their hands, and when they look up, Haley feels Nathan thread his fingers with hers.

This is what it feels like, holding hands with him. His hand is slightly rough, but warm, and hers feels delicate weaved into his, yet fitting so perfectly with his.

Her breath has hitched as the change occurs. She doesn't know how it happens. In one moment, the distance between them feels like five yards but in the next, his face is just five inches away from hers.

He lowers his face closer, and with a muted gasp, she realizes that he's going to kiss her.

If she raised her head just a little, if she leaned into him the tiniest bit, if she met him halfway, they would be kissing.

Their lips are just a hair's breadth away when Whitey wakes up, jumping up from his seat. They spring apart like kids who were about to get caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"Dammit, who turned off the lights!" he roars in his Southern drawl, looking around the bus.

Haley has never heard the coach yell so close and at the sound of his voice above them, she literally leaps up in her seat.

The lights are turned back on quickly, everyone hushing up as they look at the coach.

Haley gapes up at him, his face ruby, his bald scalp hidden under a Ravens baseball cap.

"I don' want no tomfoolery on my bus, ya hear?" he grumbles, dropping back down in his seat.

"He's scary," Haley mutters softly.

It's no wonder her seat was empty, everyone but her aware of why it should be avoided like the plague. No one wants to be caught doing anything he doesn't approve of and get yelled at in front of everyone.

Stunned from what could have been if the coach hadn't woken up, Haley turns to Nathan. Her stomach sinks at the length of distance between them, their hands on their laps.

There's a faint grin on his lips as he says, "Don't let him scare you. He's really okay, once you get used to him yelling in your face."

"I doubt I would get used to that. I break easy."

"I would peg you for a tough as nails kind of girl."

They laugh softly, the air between them slowly simmering down from the blazing flame it had suddenly become.

Conversation between them is easy and unstrained, and she's surprised at how much they have to talk about. They disagree on some things, yet they are in complete agreement when it comes to others.

He may have a fondness for movies and music that she can't stand, but his passionate disposition about his future resonates with her.

On the outside, they appear the most unlikely pair, but when they talk, they are in harmony.

Haley's unsure whether the bus sprouted wings when it pulls into the Tree Hill High parking lot. Where did the time go?

Rachel shoots her a dark glare as she exits with the cheerleaders, but she doesn't pay any mind to it.

They're among the last to step off the bus, walking slowly with no real aim, still talking.

The parking lot is dimly lit by the few lampposts set up in the perimeter, yells and laughs from athletes and cheerleaders bouncing around the night.

"How are you getting home?" Nathan asks, slinging his duffle bag over his shoulder.

"I'm catching a ride."

On one of the night buses.

He looks at her sideways, jiggling his car keys. "Lucas?"

"No," she says, stuffing her hands into the warm linings of her pocket to ward off the night's chill.

"You have another boyfriend I don't know about?" he asks teasingly, yet there's an underlying hint of seriousness and hesitation.

Haley laughs, looking towards the school entrance. She's never been out in the school so late, and it just seems really spooky at night without students around.

When she takes the bend around the building, no one will know how she's getting home. Most of the athletes and cheerleaders will take the opposite turn, anyway, towards the posh side of town.

"Another boyfriend?"

Nathan raises an eyebrow. "Isn't Lucas your boyfriend?"

She doesn't know why he's fishing for the truth to that question. Peyton at least had a reason; she's sort of dating Lucas.

"God, no."

He seems relieved by her answer, nodding briefly before looking away.

"Well, thanks for the company," she grins, adjusting her bag's strap on her shoulder.

Nathan laughs, standing so close to her that it would only take half a step to reach him.

"Thanks for coming," he says softly. "It meant a lot to me."

Her heart has climbed to her throat as she nods, her mouth having gone dry.

"Nate! Come see this, man!" Tim yells from across the lot.

Blinking hard, Haley takes a step back from him. As much as she wants something to happen between them, this is the last place she would want it to happen; in front of Rachel of all things.

"Um, I'll see you around," she says.

He looks like he wants to say something, but she doesn't give him the chance.

She's sucking in deep breaths to calm herself down as she rushes towards the main road. He likes her, but as a what? Tutor out of appreciation? Acquaintance? Friend? Something more?

She runs shivering fingers through her hair, walking faster and getting swallowed by the black night.

The honk behind her is startling, but she doesn't stop or look back. It's probably someone signaling another driver to do something.

She waits for the car to pass by but it doesn't, its headlights shining brightly on her jeans. She turns around with the intent to tell them off, but stops when she recognizes the driver of the sleek Mustang.

The window to the passenger side glides down, his creased brow evident.

"You're walking home?"

"Taking the bus," she answers truthfully.

"Are you out of your mind?" he asks incredulously. "Do you know how much danger you're putting yourself in?"

"It's not that late," she mumbles.

He leans over to open the door. "Come on. I'll drop you off."

"We don't exactly live in the same neighbourhood, Nathan."

He grabs the duffle on the seat and throws it in the back.

"I don't mind. Get in."

The car has a brand new smell, the cream leather beneath her soft and plush.

"What happened to your truck?"

She catches his jaw twitch before he answers, "My dad traded it in. God, Haley, you have a death wish or something?"

"You've been watching too many movies, Nathan. I take the bus all the time."

"And all it takes is one time for things to go crazy. Did Lucas ditch you?"

"No. I told him to ditch me."

Despite the tirade, he's a good driver, and she relaxes in the seat, staring through the windshield instead of his long, slender fingers.

She recalls being in Peyton's convertible earlier, her eyes on the speedometer as they drove down the highway.

"What? What's so funny?"

"I've just remembered my ride in Peyton's car."

"That girl is nuts behind the wheel. Once was enough for me. Where do you live?"

She gives him directions, her knee starting to bop as they drive towards her side of town.

"Why are you nervous?" he asks without looking her way.

"What?"

He takes a fleeting look at her leg, a half smile on his lips. "You do that a lot when you're nervous."

Her mind takes a spin that he noticed her nervous tic.

"Do not," she mumbles, stilling her leg as her cheeks heat up.

He laughs lowly, and it reminds her just how much she likes to hear him laugh even the slightest bit.

"I've never seen you drive," he says.

She glances over at him, leaning back on the seat. "I don't."

"Why not?"

"Lack of confidence."

Road anxiety, fear, among other things.

"Think the team will go undefeated this season?"

"You're changing the subject," he says as they get to a stop sign.

He is patiently waiting for her to respond.

"I worry that I may get into an accident."

She would be fine taking public transport for the rest of her life.

"What happened that scared you?" he asks, giving her his full attention.

"The light's going to change any minute," she points out.

"Let it," he says softly, not shifting his gaze.

She sighs, taking a look through the back window in case there's another car behind them.

It's not something she's uncomfortable admitting, but it's been a while since anyone has asked why she doesn't drive.

"When I was seven, my mom and I were in an accident. Her hands just slipped on the wheel, we swerved off the road and almost hit another car. We landed in a ditch, my mom fractured her arm, but I was unharmed."

She can still remember the combination of their screams as they turned sharply to avoid a collision. The airbag blew up in her face, throwing her small body so hard against the seat that she thought she had been split into half.

"I know it wasn't horrible, but it really spooked me out."

He just nods, silence enveloping them.

"I'm afraid of escalators," he says all of a sudden.

"What?"

Shaking his head, he throws her a small smile. "They've never appealed to me. I believe that a staircase should not move."

The unexpected honk behind them jars them both, Nathan drawing his hand out the window.

"Sorry!"

Haley looks at him as he takes the turn. "Have you ever used one?"

"Once."

His eyes flash up to hers quickly. "My dad forced me on it. I thought I was going to pass out."

"How old were you?"

"Eight."

She snaps her slightly ajar mouth closed. Dan Scott loses more and more credibility as a decent person every time Nathan talks about him.

He heaves a big sigh. "I don't know why they spook me out, but I avoid them completely. It's elevators or the stairs for me. Tim is always ribbing me about it."

"I bet if we dug really hard, we could find something that scares the hell out of him."

Nathan grins, throwing her a smile of admiration. "His stepmother does like me."

He chuckles at the face she makes.

"Clowns," she admits. "I don't like them."

"Well, their overexaggerated movements can be a little freaky," he says reasonably, pulling up to her street.

Most of the houses on the block have lights on, showing that there are people living in those homes, but hers is as dark as the night.

"This is it?"

"Yeah. We're staying here while we renovate the mansion."

He laughs under his breath, unhooking his seatbelt.

"I didn't mean it like that. And mansions are overrated. How often do you stay alone?"

"Weeks. Months. Depending on how long my mom will be working."

Suddenly anxious, Haley fiddles with a loose string on her bag, working her lower lip between her teeth.

"My dad sometimes comes by to check in on me. My sister Taylor has a place to crash when she's in between parties and breakups and skipping school a—"

His hand on her arm stops her from rambling any more.

"Sorry."

He chuckles as he pulls his hand away, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Can I be honest with you?" he asks softly.

Taking in his tired features, she says, "Um, yeah. I don't know. You tell me."

He exhales loudly, twisting in his seat to face her.

"I'm really lucky to have basketball. It's pretty much my shot at everything from here on out. If I lose it, it's over for me."

"So don't lose it."

"But that's the thing. With my grades, I'm close to being ineligible to do the one thing that I'm actually good at."

He shakes his head, leaning on the headrest.

"It's not just my life, either, Haley. It's my dad's, too. It's like he's still got something to prove to Whitey, and if I screw it up, it's gonna destroy him."

His head lolls as he looks at her, softly finishing, "And he'll destroy me."

She wants to cry for him. No child should have to take such pressure or abuse from a parent. It's like basketball has been drilled into him, defining who and what he is through and through.

"You can't think like that, Nathan. Your grades have improved. Three math tests ago, you had an F. You just rocked a B on your test exam."

He laughs shortly, leaning slightly sideways. He's close, but not as close as they were on the bus.

His eyes look haunted, and it floods her heart with compassion.

"I know that tutoring me has complicated things with Lucas, and I'm sorry. I just…I just really need your help."

All she wants to say is lost. Recovering, she nods, offering a weak smile.

He nods, too, returning the smile. "Thanks."

"Thanks for the ride," she says as she reaches for the handle, urgently needing to escape.

There are only so many almost-kisses she can take in one night.


	8. Chapter 8

**A big thank you to all of you receiving alerts to this story!**

* * *

The weeks fly by swiftly.

Haley is aware that the attraction between her and Nathan has escalated since that night after the game; there is an intimacy that wasn't there before.

During tutoring, their conversations are much more relaxed, sometimes bordering on flirty.

Before, they would only give courteous nods to each other in the school hallways. Lately, they've been lingering when they meet, talking and sharing inside jokes.

She knows that it annoys Lucas, but her heart seems to have a mind of its own, not caring that her best friend disapproves of her relationship with his estranged brother.

Despite the development of her relationship with Nathan, she still keeps to herself. She hasn't been to a party since the one at his beach house, although he is always telling her about one party or another.

In those weeks, she turns seventeen. Her parents, already in Orlando, send her a new laptop and a teddy bear. Every year for her birthday, they always give her a bear.

She spends the day with Luke, playing mini-golf on the roof of the café and walking around town. Later, they meet up with Peyton for a birthday picnic lunch at the park. Haley feels like the third wheel when they become a little too comfortable with each other.

Nathan, somehow having found out, most likely through Peyton, buys her a book light and holder set. She finds the package on her doorstep, a purple daisy over the silver-wrapped box.

The day-old flower sits in water in a small vase on the mantle, and every time she sees it, a smile just forms on her lips.

He always seems to surprise her. She thinks one thing, and he does another that makes her question her previous opinion of him. She mistook him for conceited when he was confident, she mistook him for aloof when he was just introverted at heart.

She has thought about calling him to thank him for the gift, but it makes her antsy thinking of having a phone conversation with him.

Since she began tutoring him, they have never talked on the phone, least of all exchanged numbers. It was only before winter break that he programmed his into her phone.

She'll wait for Monday; a face-to-face thank you is better than one over the phone, anyway.

At first, she ignores the knock, thinking it's a creak in the house.

A rapt knock, this one longer, has her sitting up, looking towards the entrance. It's almost 11PM, a strange hour to have visitors. It can't be Luke because they agreed that he would come by tomorrow.

There's yet another knock and cautiously, she walks towards the foyer. Grabbing the baseball bat leaning on the foyer table, she tiptoes to the door, her heart slamming hard in her chest.

"Who is it?" she calls out, gripping the bat tightly.

"It's me."

The deep yet soft voice carries through the door, and her heart starts beating even faster. What is he doing here?

Putting the baseball bat away, she straightens her hair and clothes, breathing in and out quickly before unlocking the door.

She feels like a vagabond who dressed in the dark standing next to him, in her wildly coloured tights and baggiest, oldest t-shirt.

He, on the other hand, looks like he just stepped off a fashion runway, in a dark suit that fits his tall frame perfectly. His black tie is loose, hanging around the collar of the grey shirt that pronounces the blue of his eyes.

"I didn't know you wore glasses."

Blinking hard to break her staring, Haley reaches for the wide-framed glasses. Nathan is quick, brushing her hand away.

"They look good on you."

Haley glances down at their joined hands, hers petite against his larger one.

"I don't usually need them that much."

Loosening her hand gently from his, she unnecessarily slides the glasses back up her nose, almost poking her eyes out.

"Shouldn't you be at a party?" she asks, leaning on the door, wiggling her toes in her years-old slippers.

Supporting himself on the doorframe, his eyes lock on hers. "The person I was hoping to see wasn't there."

Haley feels the thumping of her heart increase. "Oh."

It comes out more like a question than a statement, and she hurriedly asks, "You want to come in?"

"Would love to."

Opening the door wider, she lets him by, her clammy hands rubbing furiously at the sides of her t-shirt.

"Where are your parents?" he asks, looking towards the stairs.

"Out of town."

"Already? I get that your mom is a travel nurse, but is your dad changing careers?"

Laughing softly, Haley shuts the door, motioning him towards the living room.

"He's whipped."

They were home before Thanksgiving until after New Year's, and she would find it strangely odd not to have the house to herself as she'd become used to.

"He's sort of retired, so he prefers to travel with her than lose his mind out of boredom here."

Realizing that she hadn't bothered to turn off the television, she stops in the doorway, causing Nathan to bump into her.

Confusion crosses his face. "Something wrong?"

"No."

She makes an error of looking over her shoulder, and for that moment her head is turned, Nathan passes her to stand by the couch.

She's scrambling to get to the remote, but he's already seen the frozen screen.

He raises a brow at her, lips curled to the side in an amused smile.

"Well, well, Haley James. Is that a chick flick?"

The television goes off, bathing the room in darkness.

"Maybe," she mumbles, reaching for the light switch. She's sure that her cheeks are visibly pink even in the darkness.

Running an imaginary zip across his lips, he says, "I won't tell."

With a slight laugh, Haley drops on an armchair, drawing her knees to her chest.

"What are you doing here?"

He takes the sofa, stretching his legs out. Haley can't help but run her eyes discreetly down the length of them, comparing them to her own twigs.

"I'm starving," he says, turning on the TV.

"This is not a diner."

He laughs, pointing to the leftover Chinese on the table. "Sure about that?"

"Bite me."

"How mature. Come on, Hales. I haven't eaten in three hours."

She bursts out laughing, reaching for the boxes. "Three hours? How many meals do you have a day?"

"A few," he says, throwing her a mock pitiful look. "I'm a growing boy."

"Right."

When she returns, he's on the floor, jacket and tie on the arm of the couch. He looks so at home that she smiles to herself.

Taking a place mat, she sets the hot plate and a glass of water on it, passing him the fork.

"Sit with me," he tells her, wrapping his hand around her wrist.

The way he's looking at her, the way his thumb is rubbing slowly along her wrist leads her to nodding.

Grabbing the blanket over the back of the couch, she wraps it around her shoulders and takes a spot beside him.

"Can you say something? It's weird when I'm eating and you're not," he says, poking at the rice.

Haley chuckles, removing her glasses and twisting to face him. "You're weird."

"You're weird," he counters before taking a bite.

She drags the container of brownies from the edge of the table, plucking one from the stack.

"So why did you leave the dance? Wasn't Rachel good enough company?"

She knows she's baiting him and being really catty about it, but it kills her when she thinks of the snotty redhead being with Nathan.

"Is that jealousy I detect?" Nathan asks with an amused tone.

Snorting, she looks away, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself.

"You wish."

"I do."

At his soft tone, her head whips up, finding his eyes staring at her keenly. She doesn't know what to say, her mouth quite parched as she struggles to swallow.

"You play guitar?" he asks, jutting his chin to the guitar on the carpet next to the piano.

"Um, yeah."

"How long?"

"About eight years."

"Long time," he says, impressed. "Are you in a band or something?"

Haley laughs, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

"No. I'm too chicken to perform in front of people."

He places the plate back on the mat, taking a moment to really look at her.

"I think you'd bring the house down if you performed."

She doesn't know why his opinion matters so much to her but it does. It makes her want to grab her guitar and belt out something, just to hear what he thinks about it.

"I could be a sucky musician for all you know."

"Nah. My gut tells me you're the real thing. What else do you play?" he asks, leaning an arm on the cushion.

"Piano. My dad's a bit of a music junkie. He didn't convert my siblings but he succeeded with me."

He chuckles, grabbing the glass from the table and looking at her over the rim.

"I'm curious. What do you like to do? What really makes you happy?"

"You mean like what basketball is to you?"

He nods, gulping down another mouthful of water.

"Music," she says softly.

For as long as she can remember, it's the one thing she's always found comfort in.

"Do you sing? Yeah? I'd love to hear you sometime."

Cheek on bended knee, she asks in a whisper, "Is the world ending?"

He gives her a knowing smile, like somehow he'll break her and get her to sing. She never sings in front of people who've known her for years, yet the idea of singing for him sounds pretty good right now.

"In case you're wondering, there's a reason why I came."

"To gorge on my food?"

Nathan laughs. "I've been meaning to say something to you, but I didn't…"

A flush of heat slinks from her cheeks, all the way to her neck. Is this what she thinks it is?

"I like you, Haley."

He seems to know just what will leave her speechless. Her heart starts hammering at his admission.

Instead of flinging her arms around him and pressing kisses to his face, she says playfully, "I like you, too, Nathan."

He shakes his head, placing the glass on the table and twisting around to really look at her.

"No. I like you like you."

She feels bug-eyed as she stares at him, letting his words soak in.

With a nervous chuckle, he rubs at his forehead.

"I'm too old to be playing games and I just wanted to come clean about this."

She wants to tell him that he's only seventeen and he's too young to feel too old to play games.

When she becomes conscious of him laughing, she realizes that she said it out loud.

"The only reason I went to the dance was to see you, but you weren't there," he says, leaning a forearm on the couch and leaning his face closer to hers.

She swears that she feels hypnotized staring into his eyes.

"I feel like a jerk for not asking you to go with me. But I thought you'd say no and instead, I hoped that you'd be there and I'd get to talk to you."

Somewhat recovering, Haley leans her arm on the couch, too, close enough for her to feel how warm his skin is.

"Why did you think I'd say no?"

He shrugs, seeming to move even closer, the motion magnetic to her and leading her to lean in.

"I couldn't sleep tonight without seeing you," he whispers.

His face is so close to hers that she can feel his breath tickling her lips. Everything in his tone sends a wave of awareness shimmying over her body.

"I'm glad," she says just as huskily, itching to rub the tip of her nose against his.

"Sadist."

She laughs softly, and then swallows hard. It's like they're the only people in the entire world.

His eyes fall to her neck, and she wonders if he can see her pulse jumping at the base of her throat.

She's holding her breath as he lifts his gaze to her eyes. When it lowers to her mouth, she finds herself parting her lips slightly in anticipation.

His do the same in return and when his eyes are finally on hers, he bends his head, bringing his lips close to hers.

* * *

**Too mean of me to leave it like this? Check in tomorrow!  
**


	9. Chapter 9

The moment she feels his lips touch hers, a tingle of heat shoots through her.

Everything around drowns.

Where she is, there's no carpet underneath her. Where she is, there's nothing but air that leaves a warm, dizzying effect on her as she soars higher and higher into the skies.

Where she is, there are no blaring warnings about effects and consequences of sharing a kiss with Nathan Scott.

It is by no means her first kiss, but it may as well be her last first kiss.

It's everything that a first kiss should be with someone she likes so much.

His lips, the lips that have haunted her thoughts and dreams for so long, are soft, so soft that she can't resist licking the seam of them with her tongue.

She feels his hand on the back of her neck, his thumb rubbing the sensitive flesh on her nape so gently that it sends a delicious quiver through her.

Her hand rises up to his shoulder, and then to his cheek. Parting her teeth slightly, she welcomes his tongue into her mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

Every nerve in her body is buzzing as he nips at her lips, completely lost to the sensation.

She tastes him in return, her hands moving to his hair, holding him closer. He is a terrific kisser, using his tongue, lips and teeth to do the most decadent things to her mouth.

When the need for air arises, they draw apart slowly, Nathan's forehead resting on hers as they calm their breathing.

Haley's eyes are still closed when he whispers, "I've been going crazy when I think about doing that."

Her voice has dried up, her whole body is racing to a quick tempo, but she manages to say, "Good."

They laugh shakily and with his taste still on her tongue, Haley tips up her face, pressing her lips to his cheek just because she wants to.

"Thank you for the birthday gift. I'm putting it to good use."

He reciprocates the kiss, arms still around her. "Happy birthday."

She could stay as they are for hours, her fingers in his hair, his hands around her waist, foreheads pressed together, lips less than an inch apart. Just knowing he's close by and that she can kiss him and touch him is enough.

"Fortune cookie?" he asks, reaching for them on the table.

On a whim, her mouth moves over his in a tender stroke of the lips.

"Sure."

Unrolling the strip of paper, Nathan takes a moment to read before raising his eyes, a smirk on his face.

"'You are a master of your craft'. In bed. Now that's true."

She guffaws, shaking her head. A rush of sweet warmth makes her brain swirl, and she blinks hard to get rid of it. It must be her brain resettling after that kiss.

"It doesn't say that."

Holding the paper away from her hand, he says, "No, but you can add 'in bed' to the end of any fortune and it works."

"What?"

"Try it."

Throwing him a skeptical look, she grabs the remaining cookie, crushing it to get to the fortune.

"'Prepare yourself for a big change'. In bed."

There's a shade of pink on her cheeks as she laughs, folding the paper neatly into tiny squares.

"Do new bed sheets count?"

"You are such a dork," Nathan laughs, nudging her shoulder.

He kisses her again, expertly sucking on her tongue, hands on her cheeks. When he's about to draw away, she holds him closer, kissing him some more.

She can't believe that she's kissing him after all this time.

"You taste like chocolate."

Haley blushes, extending her hand for the plate and pushing it towards him.

"You made these?" he asks right before taking a bite.

"Taylor did. Sometimes when she's home, she makes a batch for me to snack on when I'm studying. They're great, huh?"

He eyes her oddly.

"You don't like them?"

"That's not it. You do know that these are packed with spliff."

She nods absentmindedly, taking another bite. If spliff is a colloquial term for chocolate, then yes, the brownies are packed with it.

Chuckling, Nathan shakes his head. "No, babe. They're laced with weed."

"Did you just call me—"

She breaks off, brownie poised to her lips. Her eyes are widening in understanding as she looks down at it.

"What?"

Nodding, he swipes the remaining brownie from her hand and pops it into his mouth.

Slowly, the horror settles over Haley's face.

"I…I've been eating Tay's special brownies since I was twelve!" she screeches.

"Really special brownies," he adds, grabbing another brownie.

"She's been drugging me this whole time!?"

She makes a move to slap at the brownie in his hand but he's too quick, stuffing it into his mouth.

"Don't eat that!"

Swallowing, he shrugs slightly. "I happen to like Tay's special brownies."

Groaning, Haley covers her face with her hands.

"They made me feel so…mellow and…and hungry afterwards but I didn't really think about it. I was high!?"

He swipes away a crumb from the corner of her mouth. "It's not a big deal."

"When my mom asked who had eaten the last huge piece of chocolate cake or where all the cookies in the pantry disappeared to, I told her I didn't know. I felt like a closet binge eater!"

He's laughing harder as she talks, shoulders shaking slightly. "It won't happen this time. I don't think you ate enough to get you high."

"Then why do I suddenly feel _so good_?"

Her head is swimming, like a kaleidoscope of colours is twirling over and over, making her dizzy with something warm and euphoric.

"Shouldn't you have developed a tolerance for the side effects by now after all these years?" Nathan asks, amusement in his tone.

Her head drops to his shoulder, her nose inhaling that alluring scent that makes her want to give him a hickey.

She giggles at the absurdity of her thought, a laugh that sounds a little too hysterical to her ears.

"I think I just thought about biting your neck."

* * *

She's jostled awake by a loud pound on the door.

Warm sunlight is heating up her face, her eyes burning as she tries to pry them open, her head so heavy that she groans at the weight.

Deep voices are carrying around her, saying things she can't comprehend in her half-dead state. Thinking she's dreaming, she closes her eyes, wanting to sink back into unconsciousness.

Her eyes fly open, the dinner jacket on the coffee table coming into view.

Cursing softly, she struggles to get off the couch. In her haste, she crashes to the floor in a heap with a thump, her hair falling over her face.

There's silence all around her, a silence so unsettling that it makes her curse again.

Did they kill each other?

In a mad frenzy, she's off the floor and running towards the door, trying to look as presentable as she can get when she just woke up.

They're both standing on the foyer, tense and silent, boring lasers into each other. The tension is so thick that it's like an extra being between them.

"Hey!"

She doesn't know who she's really addressing but it doesn't matter, just as long as they stop plotting how to lunge at each other's throat.

They face her slowly, both of them relaxing a little. Unwillingly, she's taken up the role of the buffer.

"Hey! Hi! Hi!" she says again, breathless, tucking her hair behind her ears.

Lucas is frowning as he holds out a takeaway cup to her, his eyes clouded with questions.

She knows what he wants to ask but for just a moment, she'll pretend that there's nothing absolutely wrong about her best friend finding Nathan at her house early on a Sunday morning.

"Thanks."

Speak of the handsome devil, he's looking really good as he moves towards her, shaggy hair, impish grin, and every tall, solid inch of him.

She'll take a just-woke-up Nathan on any day of the year.

"Morning," he greets her softly, his shirt brushing along her bare arm.

That smile is so suggestive that anyone would conclude they spent the night doing the wickedest things.

She can't resist returning the smile, wanting to hide its sheer magnitude from Luke by bringing the cup to her lips. The scalding hot chocolate burns her tongue and lower lip, so much so that she yelps out in surprise.

Have the hormones affected her brain so badly?

She feels his fingers on her elbow, his face scrunched up in worry as he looks down at her.

"You okay?"

Nodding, she draws her lip between her teeth, sucking on it to take away the awful sting.

From the corner of her eye, she swears she sees Lucas baring his teeth like a dog.

"I'll just grab my jacket," Nathan says, heading for the living room.

With a shake of her head at Lucas, she points to the kitchen, mouthing, "Two minutes."

He looks back and forth between her and the living room, the expression on his face telling her that he disapproves of whatever is going on.

She rolls her eyes, urging him with a wave of the hand to move it. There's no way on earth that she wants him around when Nathan is leaving.

With a scowl, he makes his way slowly towards the kitchen, like he's dragging his feet just to hear a snippet of their conversation.

Like he was waiting for Lucas to leave, Nathan emerges from the living room, jacket over arm.

Feeling self-conscious about her bedraggled appearance, Haley cradles the takeaway cup in both hands, shuffling nervously on her feet.

They kissed a lot after that phenomenal first kiss, talking late into the night about everything and anything. All done in between her scatty behaviour, the giggles and shrilly act that always came about with eating Taylor's damn brownies.

She can't remember how they ended up on the couch from the floor, most likely falling asleep while cuddling together.

It just makes her blush thinking about it. She's never felt so insanely attracted to someone, someone who can distract her so easily with a single look that she burns her mouth.

"What a night," she blurts, feeling shy.

He towers over her, warmth and masculinity radiating off him in spades.

She's probably still high from last night. That has to be the only explanation as to why she's so scatterbrained this morning when he's this close to her.

"Didn't expect him to be the one waking me up," he says, a strain behind his smile at the mention of Lucas.

She grimaces, avoiding the thought of what would have been if she'd been completely out of it.

"I forgot that he was coming over."

"I was hoping to take you out for breakfast. Maybe next time?"

"Yeah. Maybe."

Her eyes flutter closed at the contact of his lips. It's not a lengthy kiss, but it's not too short, either. It still leaves her pining for more when he pulls away.

"I'll call you later," he says, running his thumb over her cheek.

"Okay," she breathes out, wishing he wouldn't quit touching her.

As he's striding down the pavement, she admires his trim, athletic body.

He stops, turning to face her and starting to walk backwards.

"Have fun talking about me!" he hollers with a grin.

"I'll email you the minutes!" she replies, chuckling softly.

She's still watching him as he slides behind the wheel of his car, waving just before he drives away.

She shuts the door slowly, her back on it, an uncontainable smile stretching across her mouth so tightly that her cheeks feel permanently raised.

A clearing of the throat sobers her up. Her heart skips a beat at the sight of Lucas standing by the entryway to the kitchen, a rather grim look on his face.

"Seriously, Luke?"

* * *

The adrenaline, hormones, whatever that was when Nathan was around, is starting to drain away slowly as she waits for Luke to say something.

He's the one who is taking it hardest; let him be the one to speak first.

Tearing her eyes away from the wall behind him, she looks at the clock, the second hand ticking loudly in the heavy silence.

She feels sorry for him, with the way he looks pale and sick at the idea of her and Nathan being anything more than tutor and tutee. It's one thing to tell him that she likes Nathan, and entirely another for him to find Nathan in her house early on a Sunday morning, clearly having slept over.

"He came over last night," she mumbles, unable to take the quiet.

Lucas gazes at her over the rim of his cup. "I figured."

Haley leans her elbows on the table, leaning forward slightly. "This doesn't change things between us, Luke."

That's a bit of a stretch and she knows it. Something has shifted.

"I don't even know what last night means. I'm going to play it by ear."

"Play it by ear?"

He snorts, and she catches an eye roll as he turns his face away from her.

"That doesn't translate to becoming a booty call, Luke," she snaps, aggravated by his ridiculous behaviour.

Cursing, he returns his gaze to her. "That's not what I was thinking."

Her brow shoots up and she leans back, taking a small, tentative sip of her drink. From previous experience, it's going to take at least another day to completely kill that throbbing on her tongue.

"He's a good guy, Luke," she says softly.

They're both terrific guys, and if they could just move beyond the circumstances of their relationship, she has no doubt that they'd be good friends.

At this point, hyenas may as well start to sing.

His silence at her statement prolongs, so much so that she swears that he can hear her twisting gut.

"Is it so wrong of me to not want to see the good in people like you do?"

Haley shakes her head, cradling the cup in her hands. "No, but for this one guy, I wish you could."

Almost four months of tutoring Nathan and he has always been kind to her. Which was surprising, considering the squalid personality he had around school of being ruthless and callous. As far as she could tell, those attributes suited him well on a basketball court.

"I really like him, Lucas, and I don't…"

She sighs heavily, leaning a cheek in her palm. "I don't want you to hate me for it."

"I don't hate you."

"But you hate him."

Haley sighs, bowing her head as she rubs at her forehead.

"He makes me laugh and he has this way of…of making me feel…safe and happy."

Luke muses over her words, and she can only imagine how overworked his brain is since he walked into her house.

In an effort to change the subject, she asks, "Are you going to tell me about your night with Peyton or will I have to call her?"

His demeanor changes at the mention of Peyton, a smile tipping the corners of his mouth. As much as they're butting heads about Nathan, she likes to see him happy.

He has been infatuated with Peyton for so long that they should throw him a party for finally asking her out.

"Well, she didn't spend the night at my house."

"Low blow, Luke."

"Sorry."

After what feels like an eternity, he sighs, as though defeated.

"We're just…taking it casual."

Her brow arches as she lifts the cup to her lips. "Booty call?"

He grins sheepishly, his hand rising to massage the back of his neck.

"I feel like I'm more into her than she is into me."

"You have a head start, Luke. You've crushed on her for a long time, while she started speaking to you recently."

He looks pained as he shakes his head. "I don't know, Hales. She laughs at my jokes, she wants to hang out, she flirts with me, but there's just…something that's holding her back."

"Any girl who laughs at your jokes must be crazy into you because they are not the most hilarious things I've heard."

Luke rolls his eyes but he chuckles. Becoming serious, Haley reaches for his hand across the table.

"Hey. She probably just needs time. Don't throw in the towel yet."

"Patience pays, right? Did I tell you that Brooke asked me out?"

"Brooke Davis? Peyton's best friend?"

"She showed up in my backseat naked."

Haley gasps, and then bursts out laughing. "What? When was this? What did you do?"

He shrugs, aiming to take a sip of coffee before realizing that his cup is empty.

"Last night. I'd gone to grab Peyton's jacket, and there she was. I think she was smashed because seriously, who does that?"

"What happened between her and Peyton?"

"I honestly don't know. See what I mean, Hales? It's like I'm in this weird relationship by myself!"

"Trust me, Luke. Peyton really, really likes you. You wear your heart on your sleeve while she—"

"I do not."

Haley narrows her eyes slightly. "Really? This coming from the guy who would write poems to his crushes in elementary school?"

He huffs, his way of admitting that she's right. "The year has really changed, Hales."

"It definitely has, Mr. Lucas Sawyer."

"Somebody wrote that on my notebook!"

Haley laughs, sliding off the chair to get ready for brunch with her best friend.

The year has changed, and is still yet to change, in a very big way.

* * *

**So sorry for the delay! Hope you enjoyed it...**


	10. Chapter 10

Haley walks into school Monday morning playing it cool.

On the outside, she may appear to be in-control but on the inside, she's a train wreck, replaying everything about the weekend.

Those amazing kisses are lodged deep in her heart, but the euphoric feeling gets dulled every time she thinks of Nathan not being in touch. For hours, she'd kept checking her phone to make sure that she hadn't missed his call.

Her level of pathetic had disgusted her.

She'd had it, and taking matters into her own hands, she'd called him. The robotic female voice had directed her to leave a message, and she'd stammered her way through saying that she was just checking in.

It had worried her that perhaps he had been spooked out by what had happened between them in her living room, that perhaps he was thinking everything about that night was a mistake.

With the hundredth frustrated sigh of the morning, she weaves her way through students until she's standing by her locker.

Rachel is leaning against it, lip-gloss in hand as she looks into the mirror of her locker.

She wonders what exactly Rachel uses her locker for if not to stash wholesale amounts of beauty products.

"Excuse me."

Rachel cranes her neck, merely glancing at her before slowly moving her body aside. They ignore each other, Haley just staring at her books while attempting to raise her spirits.

The concern about Nathan's whereabouts and his thoughts about what they are swell inside her. Maybe it was all a dare from his jock friends on whether the nerdy tutor would give in to his charms.

If that's the case, score ten for Nathan, score zero for her.

Out of thin air, Peyton thumps into the locker beside hers.

"I heard that you had a guest Saturday night."

Rachel snorts from beside them, piping, "Your grandmother?"

Not in the mood to take her nasty attitude, Haley turns her back to her.

"Good morning to you, too, Peyton."

Peyton grins, wiggling her eyebrows. "Morning. So? Was he there?"

She can only imagine what words Lucas used to describe how horrified he was at finding Nathan at her house early on a Sunday morning.

Leaning in closer, Haley says, "He came by, but…"

"But what?" Peyton prompts, head tipped to the side in question.

She shakes her head, grappling with her thoughts. Perhaps she's just over-thinking things. Perhaps she's expecting too much too soon.

"Nothing. So what about you and Luke?" she asks, her mouth lifting in a half smile as she diverts the conversation.

The locker behind her is banged shut like in fury.

"You and Lucas? Lucas Scott?"

Her infuriating voice works on Haley's already crappy mood, but before she can retort, piercing screams tear through the air.

Pushing away from the locker, Haley looks down the hallway as chaos erupt. Notebooks and school bags are dropping to the ground like flies, while students with horror-stricken faces are running helter-skelter.

Above the noise, something that sounds like a gunshot rips through the air.

For the briefest moment, everyone is frozen before the screams start up again.

Terror smites Haley as she watches the approaching stampede, her body turning to ice as she comprehends what is happening.

Her back rams against the locker, and she's yanked out instantly from the trance. Peyton's hand is gripping her arm tightly and she's dragging her towards the exit.

Another shot rings out and they are both suddenly falling as screaming students crash hard into them, throwing them off balance and to the ground.

Shielding her head from people's feet, Haley blindly grabs for Peyton, hauling her to her feet.

The terror seeping through steadily to every nerve in her body, she takes a quick glance at the exit. It's too crowded for them to make it out safely.

She diverts her attention to the opposite hallway that leads to the library and computer lab.

"Come on!" she yells above the noise, linking her fingers to Peyton's.

Yet another shot rings out behind them but Haley doesn't look back, her eyes darting from one side of the hallway to the next, looking for somewhere to hide.

She bursts through the swinging door of the library, pushing it shut. Her fingers are shaking as she rises on tiptoes to raise the slide-rod lock at the top of the door.

_"Code red, code red! This is not a drill!"_ Principal Turner's breathless voice comes over the speakers in the library.

_"I repeat, code red, code red! This is not a drill!"_

Scared stiff, Haley moves to where Peyton is, sliding against the wall to sit on the floor and catch her breath.

"Oh my God…"

A hard slam against the door makes them scream out.

"Open up! Please!"

She's about to rise to her feet when Peyton grabs her arm.

"Don't open it."

"Please let me in!" the person on the other side screams.

"We can't just leave her out there, Peyton."

"What if she's the one with the gun!?"

Haley hesitates, but at the girl's desperate screams, she's sliding the lock and letting her in.

The redhead is the last person she was expecting.

"You have got to be kidding me," Rachel puffs.

Her eyes glide from Haley to Peyton, a gasp passing her lips when she looks at Peyton.

Colour drains from her face as she slithers to the floor on the other side of the door.

Haley sits beside Peyton, raising her trembling hands to her face, her mind reeling in complete shock at what is happening.

Someone brought a gun to school. Someone aimed that gun at people and pulled the trigger.

"Oh my God! We have to get out of here!" Haley stammers in a harsh whisper, whipping her head to the side.

Peyton's face is ashen and clammy, and there are tears in her eyes.

"We have to get out of here, Peyton!"

The blonde's mouth puckers open but no words come out.

"What is it?"

Her eyes stray to her leg, and Haley follows her line of vision. There's a huge stain on her jeans around her left calf, a dark stain that seems to increase in size with every passing second.

Haley can feel the blood draining from her face as she raises her eyes to Peyton.

"What—"

Through the closed doors, a shot cuts the silence.

Peyton cries out and on impulse, Haley holds her hand over her mouth, murmuring, "Shhh."

Her heart is in her throat as she rapidly looks around the vast room.

Peyton has been shot. Peyton has been shot. Peyton has been shot.

"We…we gotta hide, Peyt, okay?" she whispers. "We can't stay here. We need to find someplace safe."

She feels Peyton nods slightly, and slowly, she drops her hand from around Peyton's mouth.

She turns to the girl in the cheerleading uniform curled up in a ball, face buried in her folded thighs.

"Rachel. We have to move."

Her mascara has smeared around her eyes, dark smudges on her cheeks.

"What?"

"We have to get out of here."

She nods, wiping at her cheeks while looking around the library.

"We could break the windows and get out."

Haley shakes her head. "The windows are just for light. They…they go to the courtyard. It's enclosed."

"So we're supposed to wait this out!?" Rachel asks harshly.

Haley doesn't answer, trying to think fast.

"Librarian's office."

There's nothing safe about it. They're up against someone who has a gun. Unless the librarian's office is made of bulletproof material, they are not safe.

Winding her arm around Peyton's waist, Haley supports herself on her heels, feeling bold.

"We'll have to make a run for it. Can you do that?"

Peyton nods, croaking, "Yeah."

"Okay. On the count of three."

Haley helps her up slowly, all the while praying that the gun-toting maniac is nowhere close to finding them.

Quickly, she flips the light switch, engulfing the library in semi-darkness. She points Rachel to the corner office, urging her to run.

"Turn off the lights before we get there."

Rachel runs ahead, pushing the door the librarian's office and turning off the lights.

"Come on, hurry up," Rachel whispers, her eyes looking behind them to the main door.

Peyton's steps are measured as they move past tables and cubicles, and Haley keeps muttering, "We're almost there."

They're both panting heavily when they get to the office, Peyton falling to the carpeted floor with a grunt.

Haley locks the door, pushing the desk against it for good measure before sitting beside Peyton and taking her hand.

"You okay?"

In the dim light, she can see that Peyton is winded.

"Tired."

Rachel is staying far away from them in the corner, hugging her legs tightly to her chest.

The anxiety is rising as Haley goes about locating a First Aid kit, or something that they can use to stop the bleeding.

"Does anyone have their cell phone?" she asks in a low whisper.

Peyton mumbles a no, while Rachel shakes her head.

On all fours, she crawls to the desk, opening drawers cautiously. In the back of the top drawer, she finds a half-stocked kit.

"It doesn't hurt," Peyton says weakly, attempting a smile.

From where she is, Haley sees Rachel pale further, a groan passing her lips. They may not be bosom buddies, but she feels sorry for her.

"Are you hurt?" she asks.

"I'm fine," Rachel grumbles, eyes shut. "I'm just…not good with blood."

Moistening her dry lips, Haley gulps hard, placing the kit on the floor and reaching for the hem of Peyton's jeans.

"No!" Peyton almost screams, her hand curling around Haley's wrist.

"We have to stop the bleeding," Haley explains calmly, yet scared out of her mind.

Her friend has been shot and she has no idea what the hell she's doing.

"Let me just take a look at it."

Her eyes are pleading with Peyton, and finally, Peyton loosens her hold. Willing herself to stop shaking, Haley takes out the pair of scissors in the kit.

"I hope they're not your favourite jeans."

She tries to make the comment light, but they're both so tense that the humour is lost.

She cuts carefully until the jeans fall open, revealing the wound. She wants to start crying and screaming at the metal embedded in Peyton's skin, blood leaking and trickling down her leg.

"Oh my God," Rachel moans from behind them.

"Is it bad?" Peyton whispers shakily, her eyes squeezed shut.

"It's…" Haley doesn't know what to say.

Peyton's eyes fly open, her hand squeezing Haley's arm in urgency.

"Get it out."

Blinking hard, Haley focuses on her friend's pale and determined face.

"What?"

"Get it out."

"I-I can't. I don't—"

"Are you crazy?" Rachel growls from the corner of the office.

"No. You have to get it out," Peyton says steadfastly, ignoring Rachel.

"I don't know what…" Haley's voice trails off, her mind starting to shut down at Peyton's request.

The biggest wound she's ever treated was a small rock wedged in her knee after she fell from a tree when she was ten. A pebble cannot even compare to a bullet; it cannot just be flicked off with her finger.

Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, Peyton snatches the kit from the floor, rummaging through it. She pulls out tweezers and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, thrusting them at Haley.

"Use these."

Haley stares at the brown bottle, open-mouthed. It's as if she's just been told to jump off a plane that's careening towards the earth, and she's to use a parachute when she's never used one before.

"Peyton, I can't—"

"I don't want to die, Haley!" she cries, wetness on her cheeks.

"You could die if I get it out!"

"D-do this for me. Please."

She feels tears running down her face as she looks at her friend, unable to imagine what kind of pain she's going through.

With hard resolve, Haley unzips her hoodie, holding it out to Peyton. What the hell is she agreeing to?

"Scream into this."

Rachel is then grabbing her wrist roughly, the hoodie falling to the floor.

"Are you seriously going to do this? You're not a doctor!"

"It's my life, Rachel! Back off!"

"You might as well be handing your life over to some quack!"

"Would you rather do it?" Peyton growls angrily. "You're not the one with a bullet in her freaking leg, Rachel, so just keep your opinions to yourself!"

They're all bordering on hysterical.

Huffing out a long breath, Peyton grips Haley's arm more tightly. "Do it, Hales."

Taking a ball of cotton wool, Haley pours out the hydrogen peroxide into it and then wipes her hands with it. She does the same for the tweezers, cleaning the blades to sterilize it.

Settling herself closer to Peyton, she raises her eyes, bottle in hand.

"I'll pour some of this over the wound and then get the bullet out with the tweezers."

Peyton nods faintly, gripping the hoodie to her face.

Tipping the bottle, Haley watches the clear liquid come in contact with Peyton's skin.

She shuts out the heavy, muffled screams, leaning over with the tweezers and concentrating on dislodging the bullet.

* * *

"What a lousy day," Peyton mumbles.

Looking up from tying the last bandage around Peyton's leg, Haley gives her a wan smile. She then looks over at Rachel, whose back is turned away, head between her legs.

"I'm done, Rachel."

"You guys are crazy," she says hoarsely, not looking up. "Crazy."

Haley rips open a packet of aspirin, laying out two pills on Peyton's palm.

"You'll have to swallow them dry."

Her neck bobs as she struggles to gulp them down.

Haley's worry is increasing as she looks at the beads of sweat on Peyton's whitish face.

"He's a deep guy," Peyton says quietly.

"Who?"

"Lucas."

Haley sits next to her, drawing her knees to her chest,

"I didn't even really look at him all those years before, but now…I just want to see him."

She sighs softly and shakes her head. "There's nothing like a gunshot wound in your leg to bring things into perspective."

Haley slides her arm around Peyton's shoulders, scooting closer to her.

"He's one of the cool ones, remember?"

"Yeah. He's the guy who stays, and I'm the girl who leaves."

She tips her head back slightly. "After a fight with Brooke, I took off to L.A. for three months."

Her eyelids begin fluttering.

"I'm really tired, Haley," she mumbles.

Haley cannot begin to imagine what Peyton is feeling. She's lost a lot of blood, the wound in her leg is not sutured up, and if they don't get out soon, things could turn fatal.

"You gotta stay awake, Peyt, okay?"

She nods slowly, inhaling a long breath.

"Tell me about a good day," Haley urges her. Talking may keep her awake.

A weak smile ghosts over Peyton's dry lips. "Snow day. Sixth grade. Do you remember?"

Haley nods, recalling staying in with her mom, curling up on the couch, drinking hot chocolate and watching old movies.

"It was like this whole other world just came in overnight and took ours away. And Brooke…"

She smiles sadly, closing her eyes briefly. "Brooke came over, and we made a snow fort. With a tunnel."

Her head falls onto Haley's shoulder.

"We stayed inside there all day, and it seemed so safe, like…like everything was okay," she says in a grating whisper, eyes drooping.

"Today, it's not okay. It's not safe."

She chokes out a sob, tears falling down her pale cheeks. In comfort, Haley rests her cheek on top of Peyton's head, trying not to cry, too.

"I was a fat girl once."

They both turn to Rachel, the redhead staring at them with a cool expression.

"My mother once told me that people expect fat people to be cheerful and funny. It was a choice between fat and jolly or skinny and bitchy. I had a lot of anger but because I was fat, I had to pretend that I found humour in everything. If I didn't like you, I had to pretend that I did because people tolerate fat people when they're funny."

A flat smile comes to her lips. "I got my dad to pay for some surgery. I'm skinny, I have a great nose and I'm bitchy with or without reason."

Haley wants to say, it's no wonder your nose is always turned up in the air.

"After years of losing out, I hate it when I don't get what I want. I hate it when guys choose someone else over me."

Her eyes are steady as they focus on Peyton, who is now sitting upright.

"Brooke told me about you, Peyton, about the guys who picked you over her. Guys like Caleb Armstrong."

Haley thinks she imagines it but she sees a look of shame fall over Peyton's face before it's gone.

"There are two sides to every story," she says in a low whisper, glancing at Haley quickly from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, but I like Brooke better than I like you."

"Because Lucas didn't return your affections?" Haley asks, miffed at the way Rachel is treating Peyton.

Rachel shrugs, that flat smile turning up into something completely scheming.

"I'm not too worried. There's another Scott brother in the school, too."

* * *

She can't tell how long they've been there; the minutes have probably turned into hours. Or days.

Wiggling her toes in her sneakers, Haley dabs at her brow with her wrist. All may be quiet around them but instead of finding comfort in the silence, she feels a sense of unease.

Worst of all, they have no way out.

The office has no windows that they can crawl out of, they don't have their cell phones, and the landline in the office is not working.

She takes a peek at Peyton; she's quite frail and fragile as she trembles and shivers, her skin a pasty, sickly colour.

"What are you thinking?" Peyton asks, teeth chattering.

Sighing heavily, Haley twists to face Peyton. "We need to get out of here."

Peyton's body stills for a moment, face contorting into a look of controlled terror.

"Go back out there?"

"No. There has to be another way out."

The silence is so eerie that she can't stop imagining someone tiptoeing into the library and finding them hiding out in the office, and then shooting them point blank.

"Where? The only way out is…"

A shuddering breath passes Peyton's pale lips and she shuts her eyes.

Turning away from how ill she looks, Haley's eyes stray over Peyton's shoulder.

A bookcase, a socket and an air vent.

The notion flits through her mind quickly but she hangs onto it as it starts to take shape.

Eyes darting from side to side, she takes Peyton's cool hand, rubbing it soothingly in both of hers.

"We don't know how many they are, but they could be crazy enough to come out here looking for people. They will find us."

Peyton nods feebly. "What…what do we do?"

With a slight jerk of her head, Haley points to the wall.

Peyton seems a shade lighter when she faces her. "The air vent?"

Haley nods, her body rocking with wild terror at the absurdity of the situation.

Her friend has been shot, and now she's suggesting that they find safety in the air vents of the school.

She just doesn't think that they have a choice.

Peyton's stretching out her leg slowly, looking like she's in excruciating pain as she does so.

"We'll go slow, okay?" Haley assures her, squeezing her shoulder.

"I won't leave you behind."

Peyton lets out a short laugh, raising her glassy green eyes. "Do not start on the movie clichés."

With a dry laugh of her own, Haley puts her arms around Peyton in a hug. They lean their heads together, Peyton's hand patting Haley's bare arm.

"We'll be okay, Peyt. You'll see."

Holding back her tears, Haley pulls away, raising her head to look over the door's glass window.

There's no one in sight.

Hurriedly, she stuffs all the bloodied dressings at the bottom of the litter bin. Then, she pushes the table away from the door, putting it rightfully in its place.

She's shaking with fear and apprehension as she crawls towards the vent, her fingers digging into the horizontal wedges to drag it out.

It takes effort but it finally gives in, leaving her falling on her backside, her fingers stuck in it.

Blowing out stray strands of hair from her face, she looks over at the two girls, asking, "Who will go first?"

Peyton hesitates, and then shakes her head. "I'll just slow us down more if I lead."

A deafening shot rings out, a shot that sounds much too close for comfort.

"I'll go first," Rachel says quickly.

Panic rising, Haley scrambles to her knees, peering into the vent. It's big enough for them to fit through.

"Okay. Let's go. I'll have to put this back behind us," she says, trying to control the quiver in her voice.

She doesn't know where they're going, just as long as they're out of reach.

Rachel doesn't waste a moment, sliding her body through the space until she's sure she's given Peyton enough room to crawl through.

Haley watches Peyton struggling, dragging her injured leg, panting heavily.

When they're both a little ahead, Haley slides in, twisting her body slightly to replace the vent cover, jiggling it some before it settles correctly with a snap.

She exhales with a whoosh, giving the other girls a nod.

Rachel faces forward, starting slowly for God-knows-where. Their elbows are their support as they drag their bodies onward, Peyton having to use her unharmed leg, too.

They've not gone far when they hear loud voices that are beyond the entrance of the air vent.

No one moves, each of them bug-eyed and trembling. They don't talk but they say enough with their eyes.

The loud voices in the distance are moving closer and closer.

"Let's go!" Rachel says urgently, already on the move. She stops when the voice booms around the library.

"Police! Anyone here?"

Exhaling loudly, Haley's shoulders shake when she realizes that help is here.

"Don't answer. Maybe it's them," Rachel says softly.

Haley nods, trying to breathe calmly. In stillness, they wait.

The door to the librarian's office squeaks open, a tap following.

"Hello, anybody here?"

A loud thump then comes from Peyton. They both look at her, her body still and silent.

Rachel shakes her head, tears in her eyes.

The jiggling of the air vent cover has Haley overwrought with terror.

She's already screaming when the man in black is in view. She kicks at him when his hand reaches for her leg, not caring that a bullet is no match for a few kicks, and could easily shut her up.

If she dies, she's not going down without a fight.

"Wait! Wait!" he says loudly.

The tall, heavyset man removes his helmet, his copper-coloured hair matted to his scalp.

"We're here to help."

He holds out a shiny gold badge resting on a chain over the bulletproof vest.

"Police."

Sobs echo around the space as Haley and Rachel burst out into tears.

Trembling from relief and fright, Haley slides out of the vent, unable to stand from her quaking limbs.

They're safe.

"My friend…she's hurt," she says hoarsely, wiping at her cheeks. "Peyton?"

Peyton doesn't answer and fearfully, Haley pokes her head into the air vent.

She's motionless, hands above her head, palms flat on the floor of the vent. Fear jumps to Haley's throat.

"Peyton!"

Rachel moves backwards, tapping at Peyton's arm with the tip of her shoe.

"Peyton! Peyton!"

The blonde moans softly but she doesn't move. Desperate, Haley tugs at her uninjured foot violently.

"Oh my God…PEYTON! PEYTON!"

She jolts awake, her head jerking up.

"Are we there yet?" she mumbles tiredly.

Breathing hard, Haley shuts her eyes briefly out of sheer relief and falls back on the wall.

After that, she's dimly aware of being helped up by someone, watching as more people enter the library, a hysterical Rachel being escorted out.

Questions are hurled at her but she can barely think straight, her answers short and incoherent to her ears. She just wants to curl up into a corner and weep.

Peyton, passed out again, is laid out on a stretcher, and the sight of her like that has all senses returning for Haley.

She takes Peyton's hand, walking beside the stretcher as it is wheeled out of the library.


	11. Chapter 11

"Your dad is on his way."

"They got through to him on the dredging boat?"

At Haley's nod, Peyton starts crying, a hand over her face. Haley rubs her shoulder in comfort, but feeling somewhat detached at what they've been through.

She's probably in denial that something so awful happened.

"I guess you're probably wondering about Caleb Armstrong," Peyton says quietly when she's calm.

She is, but it's really none of her business. It won't kill her not to know.

"I don't—"

"I met him at Thud Magazine last year. I had an interview for this comic strip they wanted to do about high school life. Brooke was with me and that's where we met Caleb."

Haley perches herself on the edge of the bed.

"He was a senior in that private school. Crestbrook. He was an artist, he liked music, even more than I did. He was just the male version of me."

The weak smile on Peyton's lips fades.

"He was dropping by to see his uncle. I dropped my pen, it rolled across the floor and he picked it up. He sat with us for a while, providing a great distraction until I was called in."

Peyton turns to look at her, guilt etched all over her face.

"It was obvious that Brooke liked him so I…I just backed off. Somehow, he got my number and he started calling. I told him not to, I told him that Brooke was my best friend but he just kept calling, and I kept liking it that he called."

She sighs audibly, her eyes shutting as though she's been sucked back into that time.

"We went out on a date on his side of town. I couldn't risk Brooke running into us here."

Eyes still shut, a dry laugh passes her lips. "Karma is a bitch because Brooke happened to be going to the same party, and she found us making out. He left for New York soon after. My best friend was so betrayed that she stopped talking to me, and the guy I betrayed our friendship for ended up leaving."

Peyton sighs again, her eyes opening and connecting with Haley's.

"I didn't mean to hurt her like that. And that's why I can't do this with Lucas. I can't bring myself to date somebody without having an escape hatch. I'm not a very good person when it comes to relationships."

"How so?"

"I ruined my friendship with my best friend."

"It was just that one time, Peyton. I doubt you'd do it again with all this guilt you're carrying. I don't think it should make you swear off men for life."

"I'm afraid I could hurt him."

"How? Will you fall for his brother? Or his best friend?"

Peyton stares at her for a moment before she starts laughing. Haley joins in, hers sounding a lot less genuine than Peyton's. She needs the shock about today to wear off badly.

"Do you think second chances are a lie?" Peyton asks.

"Well, it depends on who you are with, I guess."

"Yeah. How are things going with you and Nate?"

At the mention of Nathan, Haley feels that dread from this morning thickening in her belly.

"Um, not so great. I don't know what he wants us to be. Are we just hanging out? Is it for sex? Because if it is…"

"If it is, what?"

"That's not enough for me," she says with a shaky smile. She wants more from him than a casual affair. If that's he wants, she will gladly refer him to Rachel.

"So what are you going to do?"

Haley just shakes her head. "I don't know."

"Is connecting with someone really this complicated, or is it simple and we just make it worse?"

"For me, it's complicated. You just make it worse."

They both chuckle, Haley stooping over to hug Peyton.

"We'll talk later, okay? You just had your leg sewn up and you need to sleep."

Lucas is leaning on the wall across the door when she walks out of the room, hands stuffed in his pockets, eyes filled with anxiety.

"She's still awake if you want to go in."

He pushes away from the wall, putting his arms around her. The hug is tight, her cheek pressed against his t-shirt, his arms banded around her.

Things are okay between them. Right now, disagreements about who she likes or who likes her are nonsensical.

"I'm okay, Luke," she mumbles against his chest, loosening her arms from around his waist.

She feels him nod, his lips on her forehead before he draws back, hands on her shoulders.

"I'm okay," she says again, knowing that he'll keep looking at her like that until she snaps.

She's fine, physically, but she's jumpy and stupefied mentally and emotionally.

Sleep is what she needs. Just a few hours into oblivion will obliterate some of these antsy feelings.

"I'll come see you later, alright?" he says, taking a step towards the door.

"Yeah," she croaks, watching as he slips into the room.

Something immensely saddening about standing there all alone jabs at her heart. Where's her special someone who came to see whether she's okay?

She walks towards the front desk, wanting to drop down into a chair while she waits for her parents.

It's quieter than it was when they arrived, with television crews pointing blinding lights at them as Peyton was wheeled out of the ambulance.

The silence is welcome, and without looking elsewhere, she sinks into the first chair she sees.

With full force, the exhaustion sweeps over her, her head falling into her hands.

She shudders when she recalls the events of the last few hours, a soft moan getting caught in her throat at the absolute terror of being caught in gunfire.

"Haley."

At the sound of his soft voice, she raises her head slowly, looking around in uncertainty, thinking that perhaps she's hearing things.

He's sitting alone in the farthest end of one of the couches, hair disheveled, faintly reddened eyes that are watching her with an anxious expression.

Her mind is blank, and she doesn't know what to think or feel seeing him there. She watches him rise from the chair and walk to her until he's seated beside her.

"Are you okay?"

There's a strain behind his voice.

She could collapse in his arms and just let everything out, but she doesn't. He, on the other hand, is not tiptoeing around matters. She's taken aback when he draws her into his arms, holding her close against his hard chest.

"Thank God," he whispers into her hair, not pulling away.

She exhales slowly before extricating herself from his hold to look up at him.

She wanted to lick her wounds before they talked, she wanted to figure out what to tell him about not jerking her chain.

Wrapping her arms around her middle, she leans back, looking at him without saying a word. She's relieved that he's okay, but there's a part of her that slightly resents him for being out of reach yesterday.

He shouldn't owe her anything, but she feels that he does. An explanation, most of all.

The words pour out of her mouth before she can stop them.

"Where were you?"

His eyes shut briefly, jaw ticking.

The silence prolongs, and she wonders why such a simple question would make him have such a death-like paleness.

Her name is called from down the hall, and with a sharp jerk, she sees her parents rushing to her.

"I-I have to go," she says with a broken voice, just wanting to go home.

She's off the chair, throwing her arms around her mother, her father holding them both.

They're leading her towards the elevator, asking if she's okay, if she's seen the doctor, if she's really okay.

She has no strength left in her to turn back around and see Nathan one more time.

* * *

The rest of the day is a blur.

Riding in the backseat of her parents' car, she stares out the window the entire ride home.

She's aware that she says reassuring things to them about being fine, but the words sound hollow and wooden.

They shield her from the field of reporters waiting outside their house, like bears protecting their cub from poachers.

The landline rings constantly, her parents yelling into it 'no comment' so many times that they just unplug the phone.

After downing a cup of tea that her mother forces on her, Haley makes her way to the bathroom, locking the door and turning on the shower.

She's shivering as she sits at the edge of the tub, watching the steaming water run from the showerhead.

It's not even that cold outside but she can't stop trembling.

Her system had shut down in shock but now it's rebooted. She thinks about what she did for Peyton, getting a freaking bullet out of her freaking leg like she was some trained doctor.

The squishy sound as the tweezers dug into the leg, the way her hands felt cold as ice as she gripped onto it, focusing on extricating…

She's bent over the toilet, heaving and retching as steam rises around her.

Spent, she steps into the shower and scrubs herself raw, watching the water glide down the drain like it's washing away the terror of the day.

She's so tired when she slides into bed that she's asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow.

Her last thought is of the worried, dark-haired, blue-eyed boy who came to see her at the hospital, and the warm, solid strength of him when he held her.

* * *

**A couple of these chapters are related, but I promise that I'm steering you, and the story, in the right direction.**

**Happy weekend!**


	12. Chapter 12

Haley wakes up in a sweat, her face damp as she sits up on the bed, heart beating like a jackhammer.

This dream was one of the worst. She dreamt that the shooter found them in the library, and he shot Peyton multiple times, leaving her bleeding.

She was on her knees, blood gushing out of Peyton's wounds, and as much as she tried to suppress it, it just kept flowing.

It turned into some freakish river, pooling around her knees, rising higher and higher to her waist and thighs, all the way to her neck until she was under. Someone grabbed her hand, holding her down, keeping her from swimming up for air.

She is still breathing hard as she looks over at the nightstand. It's almost 6AM.

It's been the same thing for days since the shooting, waking up before the crack of dawn after a restless night.

She falls back on the bed slowly, clutching the sheet like a lifeline.

It's so messed up that a despondent senior could come to school with a gun because he hated being there. Thank God no one else got hurt.

With a shuddering sigh, she rolls over, reaching for the cell phone in the bedside drawer and turning it on.

Four missed calls.

The first voicemail is from Lucas, asking her to call him because he's worried. The second is from Peyton, telling her to come over because she's bored.

The third one has her shutting her eyes when his voice carries over the line, his words washing through her.

_"I…I know I messed up with you."_ His voice falters, then comes on softly, _"Please give me another chance."_

She inhales sharply at his pleading tone, the phone tight in her hand.

He's been leaving text messages that she hasn't been reading, deleting them every time they came in. She should have known that he would leave her a voicemail.

The beep in her ear is followed by his voice again. _"Haley, please. I need to talk to you. Please call me."_

He's the first person she's wanted to call every time she wakes up from a nightmare, but she feels like she has no right to ask him for anything.

She was kidding herself thinking that there was something real between them.

After a quick shower, she makes her way downstairs, wanting to take a breather.

Dawn is just breaking when she slips out of the house, signs of a warm day in the horizon. It's too early to call or visit anyone, and the street is as quiet as a graveyard.

School has been cancelled for the rest of the week. The reporters who have been camped out on the street are gone, having found something more interesting to cover than a couple of high school kids hiding out in their homes refusing to be interviewed.

It's just her, the chilly morning air and a few joggers as she walks farther away from her house.

She's grown up here, the place where she's felt like part of a community; she sprained her arm outside Carl Farland's house during a game of street hockey when she was ten, she threw away her retainer somewhere in Mr. Duncan's bushes when she was twelve because she despised it, before her father dragged her to the orthodontist's for a new one, and she got felt up by Ben Levi in his basement later that same year during a game of truth or dare.

It's hard to believe that a few days ago she was terrified of never seeing the light of day again, never having those good and strange memories to remember.

She's strolling on the next block when a loud shot makes her scream and cower in terror.

Scared out of her mind, her hand is over her thudding heart as her eyes scamper around.

An old truck is driving past, chugging away as exhaust fumes trail behind it.

Breathing out slowly, she feels silly for being so jumpy from a car backfiring. She runs her hands along her jeans to calm herself down until she's breathing evenly, turning back towards home, sweater wrapped tightly around her waist.

Maybe she needs to talk someone. Maybe she'll just wait a little longer and see if she gets better before talking to someone.

The moment her house comes into view, she stops in her tracks, staring at the boy throwing pebbles at her house.

She's avoided his calls for days, told her parents to turn him away when he came by.

Now he's here. She can't decide whether his persistence is winning or frustrating.

"Trying to wake up my parents? That's their room."

He turns sharply to face her, pebble in hand. He just stares at her for a few seconds, as if he's debating what to say.

"Hi."

She doesn't return the greeting, keeping her distance as he drops the stones.

"What are you doing here?"

It's infuriating that he ran away when he could have just come right out and said that he wasn't interested in getting involved with her. Figures that the smart girl was duped.

"My dad was waiting for me when I got home," he says quickly. "I didn't even have time to shower before he was ordering me into his car and driving off towards some golf resort."

"Did you have fun?"

She doesn't mean to sound so bitter when she knows that the relationship he has with his father is explosive.

"Not in the least," he replies scornfully.

"Did he take away your cell phone?"

He sighs, looking out into the distance. "No."

"There wasn't any reception?"

"There was."

She wants to throw her hands up in defeat.

"What are you doing here, Nathan?" she asks, eyes narrowed to call him out on his crap.

"I panicked."

She can't look away from his face, his honest words sufficient to squeeze at her heart. But she doesn't waver; she is angry.

"You panicked."

He nods slowly, meeting her gaze, lips pursed. "I just needed time to think."

"About what?"

"You. Us."

"There is no 'us', Nathan."

And it pains her to say it.

"Don't say that."

"You shut me out after we kissed. You went off the grid like I'd forced you to come over to my house in the middle of the night."

He takes a stride forward but she moves away. Hurt, he stands where he is, looking down at her with remorse and regret.

His vulnerability makes her want to stretch up and kiss him, but she stays put.

"You're different, Haley, and I don't…I don't know how to be a nice guy."

She just rolls her eyes. "So this whole time we've been talking, that was you being an asshole?"

"Around you, I feel diff—"

"Don't say that. You're making me self-conscious, like I'm a special case or something."

His mouth snaps shut, and then he sighs, rubbing at his brow.

"I'm not going to be that girl for you," she says, searching for the right words. "I will not be a secret or a sidepiece or a groupie or…or your plaything of the week."

She pauses, lowering her gaze to the ground while massaging her throbbing temple.

"I won't."

It's all or nothing for her. Either he's in this or he's not.

"Is that what you've been thinking? That you're my…plaything of the week?"

"How can I not? You might as well be the Junior Womanizer of the Year!"

"How can you say that? This whole time since you started tutoring me, I haven't even been with another girl!"

"Actions speak louder than words, buddy!"

He grunts with frustration, raking a hand over his face. "I thought you didn't just see me that way."

"I've been fighting with my best friend over you, Nathan! You do know who he is, right? The brother you hate so much? I vouched for you but you ended up…"

With a huff of her own, Haley wills herself to calm down.

"I just…I wasn't asking for a ring, but if you didn't think that you could do this, you could have just told me instead of running off."

He doesn't say a word, appearing stunned at the intensity of her words.

They just stand there looking at each other for a minute. Haley tilts her head back, looking into his eyes.

She hopes that he can't tell that tears are stinging her eyes. Can he also tell that she's already in too deep with him?

"I can get someone else to tutor you for the rest of the semester."

She is so tied up in him that it will take a chainsaw to cut her loose. Tutoring him with the feelings she has will be the final straw to break her back.

Wrapping the sweater tight around her, she puts distance between them, starting for the porch.

"I can't do this right now."

"Now who's running off?" he says angrily behind her back.

She tenses up but she doesn't stop, taking the steps and slipping into the house.

Leaning her back on the door, she draws out a shaky breath, gripping the handle should she fling the door open and run after him.

"Haley? Is that you?" her mother calls out from the kitchen.

Clearing her throat, she swipes at the tear that's trickling down her cheek.

"Y-yeah."

* * *

Peyton's father is a tall, broad-shouldered man with short, slightly greying hair. He's casually dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers, a dishtowel over his shoulder.

He offers Haley a wide smile. "Haley?"

"Hi, Mr. Sawyer."

He holds his hand out, a rough, calloused hand that's come about due to his work on dredging boats.

And then he pulls her into a tight hug.

"Thank you for saving my little girl. I'm paying for your college education after what you did for her."

Luck was on their side, that's what it was. Getting that bullet out of Peyton's leg could have made things worse; she could have died or lost her leg.

"My parents will be relieved to hear that."

He laughs as he loosens his arms from around her, shutting the door behind them.

"Are you planning to go to med school now?"

Haley shakes her head, her ponytail swinging from side to side.

"Not at all. If anything, it has turned me off from it. How is she doing?"

He looks towards the stairs, sighing softly. "Better than I am, for sure. Her room is the last door on your right. You want something to eat?"

"No. I'm fine, thank you."

She admires the family pictures hanging on the wall above the staircase, laughing softly at one of a young, smiling Peyton without her two front teeth.

She's already glad to see Peyton even before rapping on the doorframe and poking her head in. It feels nice to have a girl friend after growing up around so many boys.

"Welcome home, blondie!"

Peyton's lying on the poster bed, bandaged leg propped up on a pillow. She grins when she sees Haley, a delighted look on her face that is so far from her lackluster state in the library.

"Hey, foxy!"

She waves her over, patting at the space beside her on the bed.

"You look happy," Haley says, holding out the small bag.

"It must be the painkillers. They seem to take away a lot of the darkness in me. What's this?"

"A get well soon gift."

Pulling it out, Peyton smiles widely. "A stuffed crocodile keychain. I love it."

"Figured you needed an upgrade. Do you chew on yours or something?"

Peyton laughs, her hand closing around the crocodile and then holding it to her chest like it's her newest favourite toy.

Haley slips off her shoes to sit beside her. She glances over at the long shelves holding an impressive collection of vinyl albums.

She's been to Peyton's house a few times, but never ventured into her room. That music collection is as remarkable as the many sketches hanging on the walls. Peyton is really talented.

"Is the joy because Lucas came over?"

"How did you know?"

"You have a hickey."

Peyton's hand rises quickly to the spot on her neck where Haley is pointing at.

"I do not!"

"You don't, but I couldn't help it. I spoke to Luke."

With a soft laugh, Haley drops her feet to the floor and moves towards the shelves, pointing a finger over her shoulder. "You mind?"

"No."

She pulls out three albums randomly, tucking each under her chin as she looks through them.

"Vex, Cat Power, Cheap Trick. You're all over the place."

"I kind of got a lot of moods."

"Yeah, you do."

Peyton heaves a throw pillow at her, Haley ducking with a chuckle.

Putting them back, she thumbs through them until she yelps giddily.

"Aretha Franklin! Oh, I love this one!"

Making her way to the turntable by the desk, she lifts the dust cover and presses the power button. She slides the vinyl album onto the platter, raising the arm and letting the needle fall over it.

"I knew you were a girl with good taste," Peyton laughs as the song starts to play.

With a grin and a thumbs up, Haley hums softly to a few of the soulful lines, sashaying as she looks around the room a little more.

Spotting the laptop on the study desk with the green blinking light, she pauses, squinting at it.

"Are we live on webcam right now?"

"Yep."

She makes a face at the camera before giggling and falling back on the bed.

"My fans would appreciate an R-rated show a little more."

"Gross. Have you ever met any of them?"

"Nope. I like to keep them faceless. You video blog or whatever?"

"No. I don't know what I would talk about if I did. How are you feeling?" she asks seriously, looking at the bandage around Peyton's calf.

"I'm good. Have to do some physical therapy eventually. I've been sleeping so much at the hospital that I feel like I could go days without any. You?"

Haley grins unevenly. "Think you could spot me a few of those magic sleeping pills?"

"You can't sleep?"

"Not very well. I just lay awake for hours, and when I finally sleep, I have nightmares."

She knows it can't compare to what Peyton is feeling since she's the one who had a bullet in her leg.

"I have this recurring nightmare," Peyton says softly.

Haley nods slightly to prompt her.

"Instead of the library, we were at the roof of some high-rise. And that guy found us there. He shot me and threw me off the building, and just before I hit the ground, I wake up. My dad has been pushing me to see a therapist."

"You did get shot, Peyton."

She sighs heavily, like she's acquiesced to the fact that she may need counseling.

"Yeah. You know, I never did thank you."

"You did. At the hospital, and when we spoke on the phone."

"I did? I must have been so high on morphine that I can barely remember anything."

They burst out into laughter, which in turn leads to some tears and a tight hug.

"I am never doing that for you again," Haley laughs shakily.

"God, we are such girls," Peyton says, wiping at the corners of her eyes.

"I promise not to tell that you cried. Is that my sweater?"

Haley eyes the blue hoodie hanging on a hook on the bathroom door, the one Peyton screamed into while she dug tweezers into her leg.

"All clean."

"I'd rather have your leather jacket," she says, looking over at the vintage jacket beside her hoodie. "Where did you get it?"

"A thrift store downtown."

"I love it."

"We can go some time if you want."

"Sure about that? As you can see, I'm not the most fashionable person."

Peyton laughs, shaking her head in amusement. "Have you seen your t-shirt?"

She points to the almost lifelike large wolf on Haley's black tee.

"It's so badass that I could spot it from a mile away."

"The only way you can see anything from a mile away while you're in this bed is if you had x-ray vision."

"Are you this mean to patients?"

"Moody ones, especially," Haley says, and then points to the messy red nail polish on Peyton's toes. "Who did this?"

"Lucas."

She starts laughing, imagining her best friend handling such a small brush.

"You have him wrapped around your finger, don't you?"

Peyton seems to blush, her mouth breaking out into a wide smile, green eyes sparkling.

"I really like him, Haley, and I…I'm going to give us a shot. For real this time."

Although glad that things between Peyton and Lucas are headed in the right direction, Haley feels blue because things between her and Nathan are fizzling and dying.

"He's nuts about you, Peyt."

Peyton's smile grows, and she asks, "What about you and Nathan?"

Haley stretches out on the bed, head resting on one of the pillows.

"He came to see me this morning."

"Oh, yeah? Did you kiss and makeup?" she teases. At the solemn look on Haley's face, Peyton turns serious.

"That bad?"

"It…it just scares me," Haley admits softly, twisting the ring on her pinky round and round.

"What does?"

"Getting involved with him."

He has turned her life upside-down and inside-out since their first session at the docks.

She'd thought she was a happy, well-adjusted teenager, but being around him acknowledged just what she had been missing. High school had passed her by, with her focus on tutoring and working, and although she enjoyed hanging out with friends, there was a void. A void that Nathan Scott has filled with fireworks of bursting purples, magentas, yellows, greens and pinks. Her former bleak world is now filled with colour.

"I've never been the girl who people take notice of, and I'm really okay with it. Nathan, on the other hand, is the guy people take notice of."

It shouldn't matter, but it does.

"If I'm in his orbit, I may not be able to deal with the limelight that comes with him."

"The popularity?"

"There's that, and then there are his friends."

She's seen some of them torment those lower in the social ladder, thrusting them into lockers or whacking their books to the floor.

"They can be imbeciles, but you like Nathan, right?"

"Right," she breathes, ending it with a slight smile.

"That stuff shouldn't matter." Peyton raises an eyebrow. "Unless you're into him to elevate your popularity status."

"God, no."

She folds her arms across her chest, sighing loudly.

"I don't know…I guess I'm just being petty," she says in a low voice.

"I mean, just when I think he likes me, too, he pulls the rug from under my feet. I don't want this to be a game between us."

Peyton doesn't say a word for a while.

"I have never seen Nathan so crazy about someone, Haley. He's been after you for months."

"The thrill of the chase?"

"Trust me, no. The way he looks at you, the way he talks about you…"

"He talks about me?"

Peyton gives her a wide smile, and Haley feels a wave of delight roll through her.

"He really likes you. He has been known to be an ass, but give him a chance. He'll surprise you."

She badly wants to give him a chance, but it rankles that somewhere down the line, he could panic again, when things between them are way too serious for her to easily walk away from him.

Her feelings are already so strong for him, and if he hurt her the slightest bit, she's afraid it would break her.

* * *

**What do you think? Is Haley justified to freak out about giving Nathan another chance?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for your views about the last chapter!**

* * *

"Let me see the message again," Haley says from the backseat of Peyton's Comet.

Lucas passes his cell phone over the headrest of the driver's seat.

"'Tree Hill High, you need this,'", she reads aloud. "What does that mean?"

"I tried to call her back but she didn't pick up."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was a prank that Rachel's pulling on us."

"What's with the bad blood between you two?" Lucas asks, swerving into the street the school is on.

"I don't know. She started it and I picked up."

"Why not just take the high road?"

"I was stuck with her for hours when some loon was shooting at people, Luke, and I'm still finding it hard to consider her humanity underneath those scales and talons. I'm not going out of my way to take the high road and be nice to her when she's not to me."

Like a petulant child, Haley falls back on the seat, arms folded over her chest, cross with Luke for being such a guy.

"It's just unlike you, Hales. You're all for giving people second and third chances."

"You're a guy, Luke. You can't see past her fake boobs and caked face."

His eyes flicker to the rear view mirror, eyebrows raised as he meets her gaze.

"Sorry," she grumbles, looking out the window.

She's taking out her bad mood on him. The person she's angry at she has no desire to see, yet he's managing to provoke her every minute of the day.

Haley sighs softly, hating being that girl, the one who cries over a guy, the one who mopes around when he doesn't give her a call.

Nathan Scott has managed to easily turn her into that girl.

"I have to say I'm with Hales on this one," Peyton says as they pull into the school. "Rachel is a bitch."

Peyton's tone and facial expression leads Haley into a dry laugh, cut short when Luke throws her that look through the rear view mirror.

"Is it because of Nathan?" he asks.

Haley bristles at the mention of his brother, more so at the thought of Rachel and Nathan getting together.

"It's pretty obvious that she's after him, and I thought that you and him—"

"There's no more me and Nathan," she says with an edge of finality. She does not want to talk about Nathan, especially with Lucas.

He holds her gaze for a moment, and then nods. "Okay."

Luke slides his hand over the console, nestling his palm with Peyton's, fingers knotted together. A grin has bloomed on both their faces as they look at each other, like they're sharing a secret that's just between them.

A prickling of jealousy flashes through Haley at the intimate moment, immense jealousy of what her friends have with each other.

She thinks about the way Nathan had kissed her that night in her house. She longs for a moment like that with him, but it's soon replaced when she gets mad at him all over again; the incendiary emotions are threatening to escape through a fountain of tears.

Gritting her teeth, she keeps staring at nothing, mutely telling herself to get a grip. There's no point in crying.

The parking lot is crammed with cars, but Luke finds a spot close to the entrance.

He helps Peyton out of the car, and once she's adjusted the crutches under her arms, they start for the building.

"I think it's a party," he says.

Music is thumping from the building, voices blending in and rising above the loud beats.

Rachel and Brooke are standing beside the school sign, Rachel plucking out the 'y' and leaving the letters to read, "This is our school".

The sight of Rachel instantly makes Haley want to scoff and spit.

_"I'm not too worried. There's another Scott brother in the school, too."_

Her words when they were locked in the library echo around Haley's mind. She wonders if Rachel has made her move on Nathan yet. It wouldn't be surprising if she had called him with the excuse that she was scared and needed to talk about the shooting.

Brooke nudges Rachel when she sees them approach.

"Welcome to detention," Brooke calls out.

The tension in the small group is a dull hum but it's there. The only one who doesn't seem fazed by it is Lucas.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you," she says softly to Peyton.

"Thanks."

The quiet moment is followed by Rachel berating Haley.

"You know what you did was straight up nuts, right? I don't know why everyone is making you seem like a hero."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you'd done it," Peyton says.

"No one would be congratulating her if you'd died from poisoning or something."

"Is a party appropriate after what happened?" Haley asks quickly, not in the right frame of mind to handle Rachel's outburst.

Rachel rolls her eyes, but Brooke says, "It's not a party. It's more of a cleansing for every kid in this school."

They all move towards the door, Brooke pushing it open to reveal the lit up hallway decorated with streamers and balloons, students laughing and dancing to music.

"We've got co-ed bathrooms, science lab for drugs and pharmaceuticals, health class for condoms and people probably using them, Spanish class has kick-ass margaritas, and the Tutor Centre."

Her eyes drift to Peyton quickly. "For anybody who needs a little extra help. Tonight, we're all together, and we stop judging each other and let everybody heal their own way."

The trio makes their way slowly through the mob, stopping occasionally for people to say hello and sorry to Peyton.

Desks have been lined against the walls to allow tired bodies to rest, and it's on one of these that Peyton plunks down on, her face spotting a sheen of sweat.

"How long have we been here again?"

"Twenty minutes," Lucas says, squinting down at her with worry. "You okay?"

"Tired. Can you get me a drink?"

"Sure. Hales?"

"Yeah. Whatever is there."

She slides up on the top of the desk, propping Peyton's crutches properly.

"You and Luke are good together."

Peyton looks over at him as he disappears into a classroom, a smile on her face.

"He's really one of the cool ones, isn't he?"

Haley nods, swinging her legs in the air. "Yeah."

"I don't get why he likes me, though. I'm not easy to get along with."

"No, you're not."

She ducks from Peyton's intention to smack her arm.

"The heart wants what it wants, Peyt."

Luke returns with three plastic cups half-full of margaritas.

Taking small sips, Haley looks around the hallway, taking in the multitude huddled in groups, talking and dancing.

She doesn't see Nathan, and she immediately shoves the idea of looking for him from her mind.

After a while, Mouth and Skills approach them, Luke leaving with them when they mention a game at the gym.

Peyton starts to carp about the selection of music, her colourful wording leaving Haley chuckling with amusement.

"What?" she asks when Peyton suddenly breaks off.

"Nothing."

Looking towards where Peyton's gaze was a moment ago, Haley feels her insides ice over and then smash to smithereens.

She hasn't seen or spoken to him since she left him on her lawn yesterday morning.

They're huddled in a corner, arms around each other, Rachel's head on Nathan's chest, Nathan not looking like he's being forced to dance with her.

She doesn't know who between the two she should be more furious with.

Nathan.

Rachel doesn't know that there _was_ something between her and Nathan, so she can't place much of the anger on her.

Him, on the other hand…She could throttle him.

"You okay?"

Haley nods faintly, very much not okay with Rachel being draped around Nathan like a scarf.

It's making her stomach roll.

Then, Nathan raises his eyes, meeting her gaze.

He seems to freeze up, no longer swaying to the music, a look of apprehension settling on his face.

"She can have him," Haley says through a tight mouth, sliding down from the desk.

They deserve each other, the bitch and the heartbreaker.

Gulping down the last sip of her drink, she crushes the plastic cup in her hand and turns to Peyton with a smile.

"I'm going home. I'll call you later. Tell Luke the same."

She dumps the cup in the bin on her way out the main door, her legs trembling, her breathing fast.

She hadn't overlooked the fact that he would have been there, too, but the first image of him didn't have to be…that.

"Haley!"

She doesn't look back or stop when he calls out, her feet starting to move faster as she aims for the street.

"HALEY!"

Like a shot, she's running fast, hair flying behind her, rubber soles slapping hard against the pavement.

He could easily catch up with her, but she has a head start, and her desperation to get away is doing wonders to her speed.

The transit bus is pulling out of the stop and she rams her palms hard on the cool metal. It screeches and squeals as it comes to a halt, the door starting to open.

"Are you out of your mind!?" the burly driver yells at her as she takes the steps.

She doesn't answer, quickly finding an empty seat.

Panting hard, knees pressed together, she stares ahead as they drive down the street.

She thought she could handle seeing Nathan with another girl, but she clearly can't. To make it even worse, it had to be Rachel, someone she doesn't get along with for no solid reason.

It couldn't be an angelic-looking cheerleader who volunteered at a soup kitchen and attended church every Sunday?

She supposes that it was inevitable that the basketball player would date a cheerleader. The high school fates were not on her side.

It was crazy of her to think that they would have worked. She had no future with a guy like him. Simplest of all, their priorities are not aligned, with one of them getting cold feet even before a first date.

Letting out a long breath, she blinks repeatedly to revive her thought process.

It's only when she sees the familiar sights of downtown that she realizes that she took the wrong bus.

* * *

Her head is pounding as she walks towards her house, her body worn-out after the unnecessary commute due to her absentmindedness.

The porch light is on, and she can hear an old jazz song playing through the open living room window. It's refreshing to come to a house that has people in it, a house that looks like a home, not a tomb.

"I've been calling you since you left school. Are you ignoring my calls?"

Her heart jumps at the sound of his voice. He emerges from behind the thick hedge plant at the edge of their lawn, hands in his jacket pockets.

Seeing him earlier tonight, the rage had overridden her regular habit of appreciating how good he looks in whatever her wears. He's disgustingly gorgeous, from the grey t-shirt underneath the black leather jacket to the dark blue jeans, right to the spotless sneakers.

"I don't have my phone. Are you stalking me?"

He steps out further from the shadows, face contorted with a blend of relief and apprehension under the streetlight a few feet away.

"I worry about you, okay? I needed to make sure that you got home alright."

"I'm fine."

He sighs, freeing his hands from his pockets.

"Rachel—"

"You don't have to explain, Nathan," she says quickly, faking coolness.

Just thirty seconds of being around him and she's feeling everything all at once. Anger, fear, attraction. They're driving her crazy.

"It didn't mean anything. I'm not interested in her."

She nods and smiles stiffly. "You can dance with whoever you want."

"Will you stop being so agreeable and talk to me?" he says, as though frustrated.

It riles her up, her emotions erupting like a geyser.

"About what? How much you keep stomping on my feelings for kicks?"

"Not in those words but it's a start!"

"Is this why you're here? To mess with me all over again?"

"God, you make me so furious!" he hisses heatedly.

She's fuming now, and if it were possible to liquefy somebody from the blazing in her eyes, Nathan Scott would be trickling down the street.

"_I_ make _you_ furious? You have been driving me _crazy_ from the moment I laid eyes on you! I've practically been _throwing_ myself at you for months, and when I think you feel the same, you just run! I'm entitled to being furious!"

"You're like the poster girl for mixed signals!"

"Oh, you must be kidding me! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!"

"Could you speak like a normal person for once!"

"Normal people use idioms all the time!"

Their senses are on overload, and even though they're not yelling into the night, every punctuated word feels like it's being transmitted on loudspeakers.

"Go home, Nathan," she says with a semblance of calmness, her body buzzing like she's been zapped with kilojoules of electricity.

"Like I said, I'll get you a new tutor once school resumes."

Flashing eyes roaming over her face, he takes a step forward and grabs at her hand like in urgency.

"I don't want anybody else."

She wants to walk away, but she's rooted to the spot.

"Don't you get that, Haley? I don't want anybody else!"

His hand is warm, large and slightly rough. Her heart starts banging hard in her chest as she draws in a breath, the mingled aroma of soap and his unique masculine scent wrapping around her.

"I don't want another tutor and I don't want any other girl."

He shakes his head, his thumb gently caressing the back of her hand.

"I have never felt this way about anyone before. I want to hold your hand for the heck of it, I want to talk to you for hours just to be around you and hear what you have to say. You're not a passing whim for me, and I'm so sorry that my spinelessness made you feel that way."

Her eyes flutter closed and she feels tears slip down her cheeks as everything forces itself out to the surface.

"What have you done to me, Hales?" he whispers.

She feels his hands cradling her face, fingers on her neck, thumbs gently smoothing along her tear-dampened cheeks.

"I'm s-sorry. I just—"

Her voice cracks, her breath wobbly as a sob seeps through.

It's been a rough few days.

He huskily says her name again and at the warm rush coursing through her, she slowly opens her eyes.

"It's okay."

There is something achingly beautiful and gentle about the look in his eyes, and all she can think about is kissing him.

Pushed by that desperation, she throws her arms around his neck, lowering his head to hers.

His lips feather against her trembling ones in a light, tender kiss.

Her mouth slants over his and she eagerly opens her lips to him, encouraging him to deepen the kiss.

The wet tips of their tongues bumping against each other for a first taste. With a soft moan, she meets his tongue, swirling hers over his, remembering how incredible he tasted the first time they did this.

He kisses her long and slow and she melts into the leisurely kiss, her knees wobbling.

"I'm just so tired, Nathan," she whispers against his lips.

He nods, lightly caressing her cheeks. "I know."

Her fingers tangle in his hair as she inclines her head slightly to meet his lips again. He drives his tongue in and out of her mouth, tasting and teasing, thrilling every part of her.

A groan vibrates in her throat as his hand slides against her back and he draws her closer to him. She whimpers, all rational thought blowing in the night breeze.

This kiss is even better than the first one they shared in her living room, one whose sole intention is to drive her mad.

"Hello."

They jerk apart as they face her father on the porch.

He raises the mug in his hand at them in salute. Haley can't read the expression on his face as the cup is already raised to his mouth, and due to the distance between them.

"Daddy. Hi."

Her lips are tingling, her face most likely the shade of a lobster. She had completely forgotten that they were outside her house, and her parents were home.

Clearing her throat, she awkwardly looks anywhere but at her father, acutely conscious of what he just saw them doing.

In comparison to some of the things he's suffered through with her siblings, she's rather tame.

It's still severely discomforting.

"Um, Dad, this is Nathan."

Nathan doesn't seem fazed, cool as a cucumber as he looks on at her father.

"Nathan," her father says with a polite nod.

She watches in shock as Nathan moves away from her, taking long strides towards the porch.

And then he sticks his hand out.

"Mr. James. It's good to see you again."

Her father looks as surprised as she is but he meets the handshake.

Nathan starts mumbling something she can't understand at her father, meeting his gaze straight on.

Her father nods, an amused smile curving up on the corner of his lips.

She's still in a stupefied daze when Nathan starts towards her, a goofy grin on his face.

"What—"

He leans over and kisses her softly on the cheek.

"I'll call you. I promise," he whispers, smiling, starting down the street.

She can only nod, dimly aware of her father's shuffling feet getting closer.

"What did he say to you?" she asks, looking up at him.

Her father only smiles, mumbling, "That is one ballsy kid."

* * *

**Hooray! The fun begins!**


	14. Chapter 14

The buzzing and ringing sounds from the nightstand are so jarring that they startle her awake.

Not bothering to open her eyes, Haley gropes for the cell phone, holding the rumbling device to her ear under the covers.

_"I want to take you out on a date," _he says, before she can utter a word.

A smile shapes up on her lips, her brain quickly losing its sleepy fogginess when she hears his voice.

"No hello?"

_"Hello. I want to take you out on a date tonight."_

She chuckles softly, drawing the duvet from her face. She feels good this morning in comparison to the past few days, and the good mood must have something to do with kissing Nathan last night and sleeping thinking about him. And the fact that his voice is the first thing she's heard after waking up.

_"Hales? You there?"_

"Uh…yeah."

She sits up, propping one of her pillows behind her. It's not unnatural for her to space out these days when she thinks of him.

_"I hope you don't have any plans."_

That smile grows, and she has the most urgent need to fall onto her back, lift her legs up in the air and twirl her hair in her finger as she talks to him.

"Lucky for you, I don't. You're up early. Do we have a session that I forgot about?"

He chuckles, a throaty laugh that sends a shiver down her back. _"I went out for a run. I hope I didn't wake you up."_

"You did, but I forgive you. What should I wear?"

_"Something for a nice restaurant. I'll pick you up at 7."_

In the background, she hears a loud voice yelling incomprehensible things, the bellowing voice unmistakably Dan Scott's.

_"I'M COMING!"_ Nathan yells back. _"Jesus…"_

"Everything okay?"

He sighs softly. _"My dad's just being a hard ass as usual. I gotta go but I'll see you tonight, okay?"_

"Okay."

When they hang up, she's left staring at the phone, wondering what is happening in the Scott household at this moment.

Is Dan chewing him out for school being shut down for the week, more so because it affects basketball? She wouldn't put it past him to be the one who dragged Nathan out of bed for a run and placing blame on him for something that's not his fault.

The soft knock on her door has her focusing back on the present.

"Come in."

Her mother walks in, dressed like she's on her way out of the house. A flare of anxiety rises in Haley's gut.

It's been really comforting having her parents around after what happened at the school, but she knew it wouldn't carry on forever. Life has to go on.

"Morning, honey," her mother greets her with a faint smile and worry in her eyes.

"Morning. I'm fine, Mom. I promise."

She didn't even flinch last night when she was in the kitchen and her father was watching an action film with gunfire and bombs in the living room.

Her mother nods as she sits beside her. "I just can't stop thinking of what could have happened if—"

Unlike the past few days, her mother doesn't start crying, and Haley feels relieved. They'll just slobber all over each other while trying to unsuccessfully soothe each other.

Her mother squeezes her hand, giving her a wide grin. "So I heard that you have a boyfriend."

Haley rolls her eyes slightly, incapable of containing her smile. "He's not my boyfriend, but he's unlike any of the other guys I've dated."

Few as they have been, they haven't made her feel what Nathan does. Being around him is...exhilarating. There's friendship between them, and attraction, a draw that makes her think of cosmic soul mates and kismet connections.

"You really like him, don't you?"

"A lot," she breathes, a warmth flushing her face out of embarrassment.

"I know that we leave you a lot on your own, but we trust you, Haley. Whether it's to make sure that the house doesn't go up in smoke or you don't get involved with drug addicts—"

"Mom."

Her mother laughs, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I wish I could meet him."

"But you did."

"Telling him that you didn't want to see him doesn't count."

"So you're really leaving?"

With a sad sigh, her mother draws her into her arms. "I'm needed back to work."

"When?"

"Today. I have to leave early to beat traffic."

They sit in silence, Haley feeling less and less melancholic at the thought of eventually being left alone at home. She has Nathan now to keep her from going crazy.

"Is Dad going with you?"

"No. He'll be here for a while. Don't cause any trouble for him, alright?"

After a tearful goodbye, on her mother's part, Haley and her father have a breakfast with high sugar content on the couch while watching an old Western movie.

Luke comes over for a while when her father is out, and she kicks him out when he sulks too much about her date with Nathan.

She retreats to her room, and the bulk of the day is spent with thoughts of the coming night.

In between studying ahead and making sure that her tutor lessons are planned out for the coming week, she takes a good portion of time wondering how their first date will turn out.

Close to sunset, she stands before her open closet, her eyes running over her clothes as she tries to find something suitable to wear for a nice restaurant.

She has never been this nervous about a date. And she likes it. It means that she really likes Nathan, which is infinitely better than being nonchalant or bored.

The edge of the closet is packed with dresses that her mother has brought for her after an assignment. Most of them are flashy, like her mom expects her to be invited to a state dinner or the opera at some point in her teenage life.

She looks through them one by one, getting more and more frustrated with each one she dismisses. It makes her wonder what her mother was thinking when she picked out some of them. Some are so sparkly that they're only suitable for a cabaret show in Las Vegas or a night out clubbing, rather than being worn for a dinner at a restaurant.

She's ready to give up and grab a pair of jeans when she finally finds something that's neither too loud nor too casual near the edge of the collection.

Plucking it out of its hanger, she pads to the mirror, holding it against her.

It could work. It's an emerald-green, knee-length dress with a black sweater, one of the few dresses she actually liked when she saw it in its bag.

If she paired the outfit with one of the rarely-worn heels on the floor of her closet, it would definitely work.

Just as long as Nathan doesn't change his mind and decide to take her to a fast food restaurant instead.

Looking over at the clock, she gasps in surprise at the time. With less than an hour to get ready, she scrambles to the bathroom.

She's just hopped out of the shower when her phone rings from the bed. Hoping it's not Nathan telling her that he's at the door, she glances at the caller ID, relieved to see that it's not him.

"Hey!"

_"Did you find something?"_ Peyton asks from the other end of the line.

Haley looks over at the outfit laid out on the bed. "Yeah. I'm just about to get dressed."

_"Okay. Have fun. Call me later. Oh, wait!"_

"Yeah?"

_"If he asks to see yours first, tell him that you want to see his first."_

"What? Oh, jeez, Peyton!"

_"Call me!"_

"'kay. Bye."

With a few minutes to spare, she falls back on the bed to cool off from the rush of dressing and doing her hair and makeup. For a girl who has waited so long to be asked out on a date by her crush, she has really played against the odds at getting ready.

Her anxiety mounts when the doorbell rings, sounding like a town church bell to her ears.

Swiping the beaded clutch bag from the bed, she forces herself to calm down, a spring in her step as she heads for the staircase.

Disco music is playing loudly from the garage, her father probably too engrossed in fixing up the old bike to pay attention to the doorbell.

A surge of awareness shoots through her when she opens the door. If she thought that he looked incredible the night he came to her house from the dance, she was far from it. It's possible that Nathan Scott looks better and better as days progress.

In the black blazer, white dress shirt and faded jeans, he is heartbreakingly gorgeous. His height, his blue eyes, his dark hair and his masculine physique makes him the kind of guy women are instantly attracted to. She doesn't blame the girls in school for throwing themselves at him.

"Wow," he breathes, his eyes looking her over admiringly.

"I hope I'm not overdressed," she says shyly, taking a step back to let him in.

He shakes his head, looking her over again, his expression fueling her blush.

"No. You look…amazing."

She catches a whiff of that wonderful cologne that leaves her intoxicated.

"And you're taller."

She laughs, looking down at the black, peep-toe heels that raise her three inches off the ground.

"Thought I'd aim for your height tonight."

He grins at her, holding out a simple bouquet of purple and white daisies.

"For you."

"Thank you."

Unable to contain herself, Haley grazes her lips across his neck to taste his delicious scent. When she draws back, she laughs softly at the curious look in his eyes.

"I felt like it."

Nathan rests a palm on her waist, leaning over to peck her lips. "Me, too."

She kisses him again before stepping away and leading him towards the living room.

"Let me just put these in water."

She plucks out the wilted daisy he gave her for her birthday from the small vase, putting in the fresh flowers and filling it up with water.

His eyes are riveted on one of the framed family pictures on the living room wall when she returns.

"You really do have a big family," he says.

"That was taken a couple of years ago, and since then, there have been new additions."

She grabs her clutch, sliding the strap onto her wrist.

"It's rare for all of us to be together like that when everyone is all over the country."

"Does it bother you?" he asks, shutting the door behind them.

"Not really. It was chaotic when many of them were still around, and I much prefer silence."

He looks towards the garage, chuckling softly. "Your dad really knows how to kill the silence for you, huh?"

"That's the third time he's playing that song in the last hour. I've come quite close to busting out an old school move."

He's still laughing as he opens the car door for her. "I already like how this date has begun."

Haley slides into the car with a grin, settling on the plush leather and buckling in while he goes around.

She, too, already likes how the date has begun.

* * *

Lulu's is one of the fancier restaurants in town. Haley has been there once with her parents, on her fourteenth birthday, before her mom resigned from the hospital and started taking up independent assignments.

They're led through the filled room to a neat table for two by the wall, the centerpiece a thick red candle floating in a bowl of water and white rose petals.

The maître d' is about to pull the chair out for her but Nathan stops him. With a dazzling white smile, the older man hands them their menus, saying that someone will take their order shortly.

"So far so good, Scott," Haley says, placing the napkin on her lap.

Across from her, Nathan raises an eyebrow in question.

"You opened the car door for me, twice, and you just pulled out my chair. Very chivalrous of you."

"I'm on my best behaviour tonight," he grins impishly, "I have to redeem myself for disappearing on you."

"I think you asking me out is redemption enough. So long as you don't ditch me halfway claiming an emergency."

Nathan laughs, lifting his menu off the table. "Please don't tell me that someone has ever done that to you, because I will crush his skull."

She laughs, pleased by the semi-seriousness in his tone. "It was an actual emergency. His grandma had a stroke."

"Did you go out again?"

"No. We were better off as friends."

"This may be a first for me," he says, his eyes flashing up to hers, "but I promise not to leave you at any time."

"Your first first date?"

He grins sheepishly, as though embarrassed to admit it.

"I really I'm different, huh?" she asks, making light of things to ease his self-consciousness.

They laugh, simultaneously pulling their menus open. Haley looks over hers to study him, wishing he were much closer than two feet away.

"What did you say to my dad?"

His eyes flicker to hers, and she sees his lips arch into a smile.

"I told him that I liked you and I wanted to take you out on a date."

"He called you ballsy."

Nathan laughs heartily, putting his menu down. "I'm glad I made a…good impression?"

"Yes, you did."

A dark-haired girl stops at their table with a broad smile and a jug of water.

"Good evening. My name is Kat and I'll be your waitress," she says, pouring out water into their glasses.

She looks back and forth between them before her kohled eyes settle on Haley, eyeballs widening like in recognition.

"Hey! You're that girl who sliced that girl's leg open!"

Haley flinches a little. Not in those words, but she did dig into Peyton's leg.

"Um, yeah."

Kat grins, her gaze then turning to Nathan. "We go to the same school, but I'm a sophomore. Nathan Scott, right?"

Nathan nods politely, while Haley is more focused on the flirtatious smirk Kat is throwing him.

"That was a wicked thing you did but I respect it," she tells Haley, but her gaze is unwavering from Nathan.

"She's brave," Nathan says admiringly, his eyes on Haley.

Kat shifts her gaze back and forth, and then lets out a nervous chuckle.

"So what do you guys want? I wish I could say it was on the house."

When she winks at Nathan, Haley wants to slap her.

"Can you give us a minute?" she says with a hint of annoyance.

Kat nods, throwing Nathan that wide smile before retreating.

"I think our waitress has a crush on you," Haley says, the irritation fading. It's not the first time someone has hit on him in her presence, but back then, they were not dating. She is not semi-cool with seeing girls begging for his attention now.

"I kinda have a crush on somebody else," he grins, reaching for her hand across the table.

"When she mentioned the shooting…Are you okay?" he asks in a low whisper.

She smiles, her thumb rubbing along his gently. "Yeah. It just makes me queasy thinking of what I did."

When she stretches a leg out, her bare knee encounters his jean-clad one. The heat from both sides of her knee tells her that her leg is sandwiched between his.

Neither of them moves, their focus on each other intensifying. Haley pulls her hand from under his to twine their fingers, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip.

A tingle spirals deep into her body when his gaze shifts to her mouth, her thoughts drifting to wanting to feel his lips on hers.

She questions how healthy it is for her to constantly daydream about Nathan and about kissing Nathan.

"Ready to order?"

They both seem to be heaved out of a daze, Haley the first to look up at Kat.

"Uh, we haven't decided yet."

Kat appears aggravated at the answer, but before she can retort, Nathan pipes, "How about you order me your favourite meal, and I do the same for you."

Haley nods and shoots him a smile, raising her menu to Kat. "He'll have macaroni and cheese, and a side salad."

Shutting his menu, Nathan doesn't look away from Haley as he says, "She'll have the prime rib and mashed potatoes."

When Kat is gone, Nathan leans over, elbow on the table. "I order you prime rib and I get rabbit food and macaroni and cheese?"

"Macaroni and cheese is food of the gods."

"Yeah, if the gods are five-year-olds."

"When you have my mom's mac and cheese, you will not think like that ever again."

"Are you inviting me over for dinner at your house, Hales?" he asks, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

She rolls her eyes, letting out a low laugh.

Over their meal, they share stories and laughs, that feeling Haley gets about them being kindred spirits strengthening as the date progresses.

They have the same sense of humour, and he's as interested in listening to her opinions as she is his.

"Nate?"

They both look up from their desserts, stopping mid-laughter. Tim is standing over them with a quizzical look on his face and a snide smirk, his eyes flitting between them.

"Hey, man. What are you doing here?"

"Family Sunday dinner. What are you doing here?"

Nathan looks at Haley across the table, his smile growing. "We're on a date. You know Haley, right?"

She catches Tim's smirk fade but she doesn't pay much attention to his coldness. She was bound to encounter Nathan's friends at some point.

"Hi."

He nods curtly at her greeting, that look on his face still there, like he can't comprehend that they're actually on a date.

"You're his tutor."

He says it with some disdain that is not lost on her.

"Am I still your tutor?" she throws at Nathan instead of saying something snarky.

"You did say you'd get me through the semester," Nathan grins.

With an even smile, Haley looks up at Tim. "I still am."

Tim gives her an equally flat, frosty grin. "I'll see you later, Nate."

She feels relief pour through her once he's gone, hoping that not all of Nathan's friends will treat their getting together like Tim did.

"Tell me a secret," Nathan says, taking a drink of water.

"I'm an open book, Scott. What you see is what you get."

"Really? Humour me."

She catches herself playing with the edge of her napkin when she thinks of the one thing that she carries with her daily in her role as a tutor.

"I cheated on a geometry test last year."

Nathan raises an eyebrow like in shock. "Haley James cheated?"

She ducks her head with a nod, straightening the napkin on her lap.

"Um, my dad had to go out of town and my mom was sick, so I didn't really have time to study."

"Did you get caught?"

"No, but that wasn't the point. I mean, I knew what I had done and that didn't sit right with me."

"So you started tutoring."

She offers him a smile when she realizes that he gets it, he gets her, without her having to explain.

"Yeah. I guess I thought it would be penance or something, but it turns out that I really like it."

He pauses, propping his elbows on the table. "What you do for people like me, what you've done for us who struggle through schoolwork…You should be proud of that, Haley. If you've been tutoring this whole time while still carrying your guilt around, you're weighing yourself down for nothing. It's incredible what you're doing."

She can simply nod, feeling lighter after confessing her reasons for tutoring. Everyone thought that she wanted to help out of the goodness of her heart when it all began out of guilt and a search for atonement.

"What about you? What's your secret?"

Nathan smirks, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "I have a lot of skeletons in my closet, Haley James."

It's her turn to raise an eyebrow in challenge. "You do, do you? Humour me."

He thinks deeply for a moment, and when he appears to have come to a decision, his face evens out with seriousness.

"I don't know how to do this."

Haley doesn't say a word; he looks like he wants to say more.

Nathan drops his arms, bending forward to look at her. The reflection of the burning candle flickers in his eyes.

"I'm not like you."

"What does that mean?"

He sighs, shaking his head slightly. "I screw up a lot, Haley, and being around you, I don't want to be that guy anymore."

"Who do you want to be?"

"I want to be somebody who's good enough to be with you," he says softly.

Feeling both curious and flattered by his admission, she reaches across the table for his hand like he had when Kat spoke about her slicing Peyton's leg open.

"You are, Nathan. Sure, I've wanted to rip your head off at some point since I got to know you," she says, making him chuckle, "but you're also this great guy who is kind and funny and good."

She's often thought that she wasn't good enough to be with him.

"You forgot attractive, charming and smart."

She swats at his hand, pulling away just as Kat drops their check on the table. Like she's done every time she comes by their table, Kat smiles widely at Nathan.

"I think we should go before I find myself in the back of her van or something," he whispers.

Haley guffaws a little too loudly as she reaches for the check, but he swiftly tugs it from her hold.

"I can help you with it, you know. Gender equality, feminism and all that."

He laughs while shaking his head. "I'm a bit of a traditional guy."

When he's paid, they push away from their chairs, Nathan taking her hand and interlocking their fingers.

They pass by Tim's table, stopping for a moment for Nathan to greet the family. Haley smiles politely, conscious that Tim is glaring at her rather coldly. She guesses that he's assessing her worthiness to be out on a date with Nathan.

When they step out of the restaurant, the night air is not as chilly as it was before. They stop on the sidewalk a few feet from the door, like they're silently deliberating on where to go or what to do.

They burst out laughing, Haley suggesting, "How about a walk around the block?"

"Sounds good."

There's a comfortable silence between them as they walk past the stores, her hand still encased in Nathan's.

"Thank you for dinner," she says quietly, stepping away slightly and swinging their joined hands.

He smiles, his gaze raking over her quickly, causing more tingles to spiral through her body.

"You look really beautiful tonight."

"Only tonight?" she throws back, nudging his arm lightly.

"Fishing for compliments, James?" he asks coyly.

"Fishing? You've been giving them freely tonight."

He loosens his hand from hers and slings his arm around her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"You are such a smartmouth."

Slowly, they walk towards the docks by the river, talking and laughing about the most random things. Every so often, they kiss, sometimes briefly, sometimes for longer.

In the months since she started tutoring him, he has become a close friend to her, someone it would hurt immensely if she lost.

"Look where we ended up," she says as they stand by their table. "Where you called me frosty."

He's laughing as he slides in beside her on the bench, linking her arm through his.

"'Please don't waste my time'," he says in a high-pitched voice. "'I'm already taking a huge chance on you because my instincts are screaming that you're full of it'."

With a laugh, she punches him lightly on the arm. "Is that supposed to be me?"

As she rests her cheek on his bicep, she wonders if he feels the same way she does, that she fits so snugly and perfectly right by his side.

"You okay?" she asks at his silence.

His face is lifted to the sky, eyes darting back and forth like he's searching for something in the stars.

"When I realized that you were stuck in the school with that crazy senior, I just…"

He looks down at her, eyes shadowed with sorrow and sadness. "I nearly lost it. I couldn't find you when we were all herded to the gym, and when I finally stopped ignoring that thought that you were still in the school, I wanted to come look for you and get you out of there."

"I'm okay, Nathan. I really am."

Her eyes are shimmering with tears as she fondly gazes at him, drinking in the concern and worry for her on his face.

He raises his hand to her lips, pressing a kiss to her palm. "I meant what I said back at the restaurant, Haley. You are brave, and I'm lucky to know you."

Her fingers at the back of his neck, she pulls him down for a kiss, their teeth tugging at each other's lips, tongues driving in and out of each other's mouths.

"I'm really liking kissing you," he whispers, his nose nuzzling hers.

They kiss again, lips joined for a long while with a heated force and need.

"I've had a really good time with you tonight," she says.

"Me, too. Except when you ate half of my blackberry cobbler."

"Yet you ate half of my coconut cream pie."

"Fine. Next time I'll order my own pie."

"Next time?"

He smirks, placing a soft, sweet kiss on her mouth and resting his forehead against hers.

"Next time."

* * *

**Good God, I hope I did justice to a Naley first date!**


	15. Chapter 15

In her usual seat by the wall in current events, Haley looks away from the teacher and through the window, lightly tapping the end of her pencil to the desk.

There at the perimeter fence, she catches sight of a uniformed police officer in SWAT garb, carrying a rifle while doing a sweep.

They walked through metal detectors this morning, and there has been armed police presence around campus all day. They know that the changes are there for their safety and well-being, but it's also a reality of how horrible things could become.

People are quieter, an alarming aloofness that's drained out the energy that's usually in the school.

It's been the same thing all morning; conversations are a soft drone, as if people are afraid to speak too loudly after what happened last week.

Opinionated voices piping up draw her attention back to the class. Everyone seems to be talking at once, like they all want to speak a piece of their mind.

She's confused as she tries to piece together what the discussion is about. The argument is becoming heated quickly, diverting to stereotypical perceptions and prejudices.

"Guys like you can get away with it," someone says with irritation.

It's one of the River Court Guys, Jimmy Edwards, who often commentates with Mouth during basketball games.

He's having a staring down contest with Russ Weyland, a football player seated in one of the desks at the back of the room.

"Guys like me? You can pass judgment about guys like me all you want but somebody stereotypes guys like you and there's gunplay?"

"That right there is my argument," Jimmy responds dryly. "Jocks, the popular and the beautiful are revered and they can get away with saying and doing almost anything. Us nerds, the unpopular and the oppressed, we're prime targets for ridicule."

Russ' hands are clenched into fists on his desk, like the simmering anger is being physically restrained.

"You were not there in that room when that guy cornered us! For two hours, he threatened to shoot us, when we had nothing to do with his issues."

She feels sorry for Russ. He looks so shaken up about it that she wonders how well he really is to return to school after being in that room with that senior.

Jimmy rolls his eyes at the ceiling before turning to face forward.

"Your worst day in this place would be my best day, Weyland."

"Okay. Maybe so. Maybe it is easier for me and my friends, but you know what? That doesn't make what that guy did right, does it? I hope he rots in jail."

The bells rings, students pushing away from their desks, that uncanny stillness in the air as they exit the classroom.

As she puts her books away in her locker, Haley has a recollection of that morning a week ago when the rampage began.

She's thought plenty of what could have occurred if something else had happened; if a thread in the sequence of events had come loose, like Peyton not being there or Peyton not reacting as quickly to the first gunshot. Someone could have gotten hurt pretty badly. She literally dodged a bullet, a bullet that found her friend instead.

Their regular table in the cafeteria is empty as she makes her way towards it. Luke's probably running late, and Peyton won't be back at school until tomorrow.

Dropping her packed lunch on the table, Haley looks up, her gaze aimed at one of the tables at the corner of the vast room.

Nathan is watching her with a smile on his face, a smile that has her giving him a wide one of her own.

Last night, he drove her home, walked her to her front door, kissed her goodnight, and then sent her a message when he got home. She hasn't seen him today, but they've been text messaging between classes.

From beside him, Rachel is following his line of vision, confusion swathing her face as she looks back and forth between him and Haley.

He stands, grabbing his tray, and like in shock, Haley watches him start towards her. Her heart is pounding madly, and her vision has somehow changed to show things in slow motion.

This is about to be a public declaration of where they stand, of what they are.

She's still in a daze when he takes the seat beside her and slides his tray on the table.

"What are you doing?" she asks in a low whisper, her eyes flitting around nervously.

"I'm having lunch."

Everybody seems as stunned as she is at his move.

"Here?"

"I haven't seen you all day," he says calmly, not the least bit bothered by what he's done. "I've missed you."

She momentarily forgets about her discomfort, breaking out into a smile.

"I've missed you, too."

His eyes narrow at her as he holds an apple slice to his lips. "Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?"

Her mouth forms an 'O' shape as she tries to procure an explanation.

"I…I'm just not used to being the centre of attention or the topic of conversation and it just makes me feel embarrassed when everybody is looking at me and I know they're talking about me and I'm sure I'm going to choke on my food at some point during this lunch hour because there is no way I'll be able to eat—"

His hand covers her own under the table, stopping her from her mumbles and rambles.

"Hales. It's okay."

He looks over her head for a split second before returning his gaze to her.

"After what happened last week, it would be tasteless if people still took this popularity contest seriously."

His head tilts slightly to the side in uncertainty. "Did you want this to be a secret?"

"What? No! I just…"

She sighs, feeling overwhelmed by the invisible spotlight on them.

"Screw them, right?" she says with a shaky grin. The expectations of the high school hierarchy be damned.

Nathan laughs softly, grabbing his bottle of water. "Or we could go sit at my table."

She takes a glimpse of the table, making a slight face at the deadly looks that are being thrown at her by the cheerleaders, especially Rachel.

"I'd rather drink a gallon of mouthwash."

He laughs again, a hearty laugh that makes her think that he's beautiful.

Beautiful. She's never thought a man could be beautiful until she met him. Nathan Scott is beautiful, with his heartwarming laugh, thoughtfulness and prominent blue eyes that change colour depending on his mood.

She likes being the one responsible for that laugh, when the lines at the corners of his eyes crinkle with genuine amusement.

"Is that a dare?"

"Not unless you want to see me throw up all over this table."

"I'm eating here, Haley!"

"You started it."

"Did not."

"Did too."

They squabble back and forth like kids, oblivious to everyone around them.

"What are you doing for Valentine's Day?" Nathan asks unexpectedly.

Haley props her chin in her hand, giving him a slight grin. The faint blush on his cheeks tells her that it's an uncomfortable subject for him, but it also makes her feel giddy that he's taking effort to be in a relationship with her.

She raises an eyebrow good-naturedly. "Isn't that a couple of weeks away?"

He shrugs, looking around the cafeteria. "Thought I'd put it out there, but with all the girls around…"

"Oh, yes. There is the matter of your other admirers."

With a chuckle, he reaches for her hand under the table, linking their fingers together.

"It's only you."

A faint tint graces her cheeks when she smiles at him.

"And Hales, you look nice today."

She looks down at her outfit, the boots, tights, short pleated skirt and sweater top.

"Thanks. It's pretty cold."

"Sorry I couldn't pick you up. I can drive you to school tomorrow, though."

"We do have a study session, after all."

He gives her a flirtatious smile that makes her stomach do a flip-flop.

"Even if we didn't, I'd still want to pick you up."

A crease forms on his brow. "Are you okay coming back to school?"

Haley nods, her eyes wandering aimlessly around the cafeteria; their table is still the focus of many curious gazes.

"Yeah."

Loosening her hand from his, she twists in her seat, her slightly shaking fingers smoothing out the pleats on her skirt.

"He was bullied so badly that the only way he could get them to stop was to wave a gun in their faces. It's just not supposed to be this way. The artists and the scientists and the poets; none of them fitted in at seventeen. They got past it. You're supposed to get past it."

Nathan just nods, his attention rapt on her.

"Adults…they see kids shooting kids and they know it's a tragedy because they used to be those kids; the bullies and the beaten and the loners. The way life is, you're supposed to live long enough to take it back. It's supposed to get to a point when you can tell them, I made it even when you made fun of me."

"Do you feel like that?" he asks quietly.

With a soft sigh, Haley looks at a small hole on the table that's probably from a compass.

"Sometimes."

As much as she wants to be secure in who and what she is, there have been days when her insecurities and lack of confidence rule the day.

She raises her head, meeting Nathan's troubled face. He leans over, and in front of all those pairs of eyes, he kisses her like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Gently, the tip of his tongue touches her bottom lip, and with a soft sigh, she parts her lips to give him access. It feels like it lasts for minutes when it's only been a few seconds.

She wants to demand for more as they pull back, but she's aware that they're in a very public place.

"What was that for?" she asks softly.

"I wanted to. And to shut them all up."

She laughs, sliding her hand along his arm to link their fingers together.

"Someday, you're going to be great, Haley James."

She squeezes his hand, giving him a genuine smile.

"You know, I'm going to need my hand to finish this," he says, indicating the half-eaten sandwich on his plate.

"You're going to have to be a leftie today. I like holding your hand."

They're already done with their lunch when Luke shows up carrying a bunch of books. He takes a seat across from Haley without as much as a fleeting look towards Nathan.

"Hey."

Haley darts her eyes between the two of them, feeling the tension that's forming between them.

"Hi."

She grins widely, yet there's no humour behind the smile. "Lucas, meet Nathan. Nathan, meet Lucas. You're brothers."

Luke squints at her before glancing over at Nathan. Nathan takes a swig of his water.

"Have you had lunch yet?" Haley asks, already tired of the strain. With these two, it only takes a second for the atmosphere to change.

A few of those around them are staring at their table with interest, the terse history between the brothers not a secret in the school.

"I'll have something later. Shouldn't you be sitting with your friends?" Luke asks Nathan a little unpleasantly.

Nathan's thumb has been stroking the back of Haley's hand but at Luke's question, it stops.

"Luke," Haley warns him, eyes narrowed.

He shrugs slightly, leaning back in his chair, arms folded across his chest like a stubborn man.

"The team is coming over to my place after practice," Nathan says. "You want to come?"

Lucas just squints at him. "You don't have to be nice to me because you're going out with Haley."

Nathan sighs, loosening his hand from Haley's and resting it on the back of her chair as he leans forward.

"Actually, I do. I like Haley, and I don't see why we can't be civil to each other."

"So I should forget that you treated me like a leper when I joined the team?" Luke spits, dropping his arms and bending forward.

"Every new player goes through it. We didn't treat you any differently. You read too much into it."

"Oh, so every time you refused to pass me the ball when I was open was just some part of a hazing ritual?"

"No. That was all me. I was…adjusting to you joining the team."

"You mean you were threatened."

"Whatever."

"Real mature there, Nathan."

Elbow propped on the table, Haley drops her head into her palm, shaking her head faintly. Perhaps it was a little too optimistic of her to think that the brothers would instantly fall into a friendship.

Lucas pushes his chair back, grabbing the thick books. "I gotta make the rounds for Peyton's assignments."

Without even a see you later, Luke leaves as quickly as he arrived.

"That went really well," Nathan says.

Haley chuckles, and then laughs louder as she turns her head to look at him.

"I'm celebrating on the inside."

He grins, reclaiming her hand. "There was no fistfight or name-calling, so I consider that progress."

"Didn't you hear him call you immature?"

"Please. I hear that from Dan all the time and I'm immune to it. Besides, I know I can be immature."

She lets out a choppy laugh, her free hand combing through her hair.

Nathan squeezes her hand lightly, saying, "Hey, he'll adjust to us being together and get used to it. You'll see."

She smiles, laying her head on his shoulder. She hopes that Lucas will come round. Losing her best friend because he hates the guy she's dating was not one of her predictions for the school year.

* * *

**I hope you're still enjoying the story even with my latest flakiness for not updating as regularly as I used to when the story started out. I'm whipping myself into shape to get back in the game!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Soooo I may have gone a lot nuts with this chapter. It turned out very long, going over 10K words. Get comfortable before you start reading!**

* * *

Her hand is poised over the door to knock when it's flung open.

Haley takes a step back in surprise the same as the older woman.

"Oh, hello!" she smiles, with a quick glance up and down at Haley.

"Hi. I'm looking for Nathan?"

The older woman, Tim's stepmother she presumes, steps out of the house, a load of dry-cleaning over her arm.

"He's in the house with Timmy."

Ignoring the childlike name that Tim is called at home, Haley asks, "Can I help you with that?"

She laughs, holding up the baggage over her arm higher. She looks like she's struggling to keep everything steady.

"You're sweet, but no, thank you. No drinking, okay?"

She's already rushing towards the garage before Haley can reply.

Haley shuts the door behind her, looking up at the high ceiling. Things are different in Nathan's side of town; big houses, big lawns, big cars. Tim's house is mansion-sized, the foyer the size of both her living and dining room.

She follows the sounds of what is most likely a video game until she's in the gigantic living room. Tim is on the couch alone, controller in hand, focused on the war scene on screen.

"Hey, Tim."

He pauses the game, giving her the barest of eye contact.

"Hey," he mumbles. He throws her a dagger look before focusing back on the game.

It's not the first time she has felt like an intruder when she's around Tim. He ignores her, barely responds to her hellos when she greets him, and only seems to notice her when Nathan is close by.

"Um, is Nathan here? He told me that he would be."

"Kitchen" is all he says.

She looks around, wondering where the kitchen is. A slam that sounds like that of a fridge down one of the hallways has her taking that corridor.

The sight of him makes her heart lurch and she's already smiling as she greets him.

"Hi."

Pausing pouring out soda into one of the three glasses, Nathan glances up, the big smile on his face igniting a warm flush in her belly.

"Hi."

His eyes are on her as she steps further into the room, hers looking him over like she hasn't seen him in weeks, yet they were together yesterday.

"You made it."

"I made it."

She stands beside him, leaning against the marble kitchen counter and setting her bag on it.

"How was your day?" he asks, bending over to kiss her cheek.

"Fine. Busy. Thankfully I get to sleep in tomorrow."

Taking off her sweater, she reveals the thin-strapped white dress that is close fitting at the bust, flaring out into a full skirt that reaches a little below her knees.

At his silence, she risks a glance at him. His gaze is on her exposed shoulders, and her pulse surges at the wonder and appreciation on his face.

Haley can feel her cheeks heating up, her next few breaths shallow. Subconsciously, her lips part. It seems to forcefully draw him out of a haze.

His eyes burn down into hers, pupils like dark pools warm with desire. She finds it incredibly pleasing that she has that kind of effect on him.

"Hungry?" he rasps, looking a bit flustered. "There's some pizza left."

She can only give him a brief nod, still quite flustered herself.

"What are you doing?"

He grins at her, momentarily looking up from the soda he's pouring out. "Making a soda cocktail."

"With four of them?"

"Even six."

She watches him silently as he finishes, a pleased grin on his face when he pushes the glass towards her.

"Try it."

Warily, she eyes the drink, shaking her head slightly. "Give me a minute to get used to its colour first."

He snorts a laugh, dipping his head to kiss the corner of her mouth.

"You say the strangest things, James."

She takes pleasure in the feeling of his lips on her skin, even for the briefest moment.

"You want to go to the movies? My treat."

His head tips to the side, eyes narrowed as he scrutinizes her.

"It's something mushy, isn't it?"

She rises up on her toes to kiss him lightly. "Maybe."

Nathan moves to stand in front of her, hands on her waist.

It's crazy to her how much she enjoys being with him. She can't get enough of him, his wit, his eyes, his lips, loving every second of their time together.

Her fingers dive into his hair as he lowers his head, fastening his mouth on hers and kissing her so hungrily that a shiver goes down her back.

She can't contain the husky little moan in her throat when he slides his tongue between her lips, stroking and licking the inside of her mouth like he's staking a claim.

She nearly collapses as he keeps at it, her body rubbing against his in response to the intensity of the kiss.

His hands splay on either side of her spine to hold her close. Haley fully grinds into him, his muffled growl getting lost in her mouth as she rocks their hips.

She feels the edge of the counter pressing onto her back, but the deliciousness of their embrace has shaken her and all things around are lost to her.

"We need to stop," he says raggedly as they pull back to finally come up for air, his face close to hers.

She doesn't want to stop.

Clearly, the sexual desire between them is reciprocated, her control disintegrating whenever they kiss like that.

Her head is still spinning from arousal and longing but she nods, taking in a deep breath. What just happened is sure to keep her up at night.

She meets his gaze, still in shock about the fierceness of the kiss. His eyes are blazing with need that mirrors what she's feeling.

"If we keep kissing like this, I don't think I'll be able to stop."

She wants to beg him to continue, but he's right. With the way things are progressing between them, they may just end up in a very intense situation that leaves her questioning how they got there in the first place.

"Okay," she agrees, her voice sounding hoarse.

"Last one," he says, fusing his lips with hers for a kiss that is less lusty and more gentle, a kiss that makes her thirst for more.

"No more."

His breath makes a loose tendril along her cheek to dance.

Haley laughs shakily, turning away from him, her back to his chest.

She leans over to reach for the glass of soda, just so she has a minute to compose herself.

"You like this?" she asks as she looks up at him, what is most likely distaste on her face.

"I like that."

He moves away from her, and she immediately misses the solid strength of him.

"It's gross."

Grabbing a plate from the dish rack, he places two slices of pizza on it.

Haley takes one of the stools on the other side of the counter, reaching for an empty glass and a bottle of soda.

"It's definitely not something I can drink daily," Nathan says, sitting by her and placing the plate in front of her.

"Thank you. I for one I'm fine with my plain orange soda."

He has her in stitches about his food experiments over the years, some of them making her want to gag on her meal.

"I've never understood anchovies on pizza, either. And Luke loves them, so when we order, we get half and half. I'm always hoping that they don't touch mine."

"My dad likes anchovies, too."

They both grin, Haley draining the rest of her soda.

Nathan raises his hand to her face, his thumb wiping the corner of her mouth.

"You have something…"

On impulse, she leans over to kiss him, her fingers resting on the back of his neck.

"Last one," she whispers, making him chuckle.

Taking his hand and weaving their fingers together, she asks, "So do you want to see a movie with me?"

She likes the liberty of being able to touch him. They haven't defined the situation between them, but after all these months of treading softly around each other, there is something terribly good about doing innocent things like holding hands.

"Sure," he says. "I can put up with a sappy movie for a few hours."

"I thought we were chilling here, man."

Startled, Haley stops mid-laughter to turn to the doorway, meeting Tim's cold stare.

"And then checking out V's party later."

She glances back and forth between them before looking away from Tim. His dislike for her is like a dark cloud over her head.

"Oh. I didn't know that you'd made plans. We can go next weekend."

When her eyes connect with Nathan's, there's a small crease on his brow; a look she's come to associate with incomprehension and trying to piece something together.

"I can skip the party. And we've been playing video games all day."

Haley catches Tim rolling his eyes, and that dislike from him feels an awfully lot like hatred then.

"Are you sure?" she asks softly, uneasily.

His slightly roughened thumb eases along her cheekbone before he lowers his mouth to hers.

"Can't wait."

"Liar."

* * *

"I just get the sense that he doesn't like me."

"Tim can be a grouch, but he's alright."

Unconvinced, Haley leans her cheek on his arm. She always gets the feeling that Tim hates her. She hasn't overlooked the fact that it's because she's dating Nathan, but she hasn't given him reason to despise her. For God 's sake, she doesn't put Nathan on a tight leash, telling him not to interact with his friends.

"We could do something together if it will make you happy," Nathan suggests.

"What does he like?"

"Basketball, girls, video games, girls, parties, girls, dirty jokes, gi—"

"So really anything I'm not interested in?"

"Really," he chuckles. "Why can't we see something else? I'll hold you when you get scared."

She nudges his arm playfully. "I'm in the mood for something light. Just humour me. I promise we'll watch your choice next time."

"Even if it's something gory?"

She nods reluctantly, a slight frown on her face. "Even if."

Nathan laughs, scooping some popcorn and stuffing it into his mouth.

A group of guys starts to move away from the front, talking and laughing animatedly.

"Haley?"

She does a double take when she recognizes her former neighbour and tutee as he steps away from his friends.

"Brandon?"

In the two years since she last saw him, he has bulked up and grown taller. They were about the same height as freshmen, but now he's as tall as Nathan is.

"Hi, Hales! It's been a while!"

He draws her into a tight hug, her bucket of popcorn almost tipping over as he lifts her off the floor.

"Hey! How are you? What are you doing here? Is Crestbrook treating you well?"

Brandon laughs, looking her over. "I'm good, thought I'd come over and visit the old town."

"We're still here, unchanging," she grins.

"You look stunning, Hales."

Beside her, Nathan scoffs softly before clearing his throat.

"Oh! Um, this is my…this is Nathan."

She doesn't know what to introduce him as since they haven't talked about it. My good friend? My boyfriend? My kissing buddy?

"My date."

Nathan just nods curtly, hands stuffed into his pockets, a scowl on his face.

"Hey, man," Brandon nods back, eyeing him briefly before turning his gaze to her.

"Nathan Scott?" he asks quietly.

She nods, giving a casual shrug.

"How's Luke and the gang? Do they still play at the River Court?"

"Yeah. Luke's in varsity with Nathan."

Brandon looks like he wants to say something about it, but he doesn't. And she appreciates it.

Things are easier between Nathan and Lucas. Not perfect, but easier. They're cool around each other, but the tension is constantly there.

"If you're ever in the mood to watch something other than basketball, I play for the CB football team. You should come see us some time. I can hook you up with a ticket."

"Watch you kick our butts, you mean?"

Brandon chuckles, taking out his phone and throwing Nathan a quick look.

"You guys reciprocate in basketball. Can I have your number? We could grab coffee or something."

"Sure."

As they swap numbers, Haley discreetly takes a glance at Nathan. He's talking to the busty blonde-haired girl behind him, and she's looking up at him with a little too much interest.

She hates it that he's even giving her the time for a chat.

"Haley?"

She whips her head back to Brandon, giving him a smile. "Yeah."

Brandon nods at someone over her shoulder, saying, "I have to go, but say hi to everyone for me?"

"I will."

He hugs her again, looking back one more time before joining his friends.

Haley eyes the blonde, telling her with a single look to back off and get lost. The girl looks quickly from him to Haley before taking a step back.

Nathan is quite focused on Brandon's back, a grim look on his face. Haley brushes her hand along his arm to get his attention.

His face has smoothed out as he asks, "Who was that?"

"Someone I used to tutor."

"Did you ever go out?"

She was expecting him to ask.

"Once," she says dismissively. "He's the one whose grandmother had a stroke during our date."

Brandon was a good guy, but she didn't like him any more than a friend. Leading him on wouldn't have been right.

When she raises her eyes, Nathan is observing her closely.

"What?"

"You make a habit of dating those you tutor?"

She wants to chuck the bucket of popcorn over his head at his snide question.

"Are you really going there?"

He shrugs, looking straight ahead.

"God, you're unbelievable," she mutters furiously, taking a step away from him.

Her hand curls around a fistful of popcorn with no intention of eating it. She wants to fling it at his face.

She's still stewing as she marches down the aisle after paying for their tickets, dropping down on her seat in fury.

He doesn't say a word as he sits beside her, ignoring her like she is him.

If he thinks that she has a pattern of dating those she tutors, he needs a whack on the head.

"Have you heard me analyzing all those airheads you've slept with?" she asks heatedly. "Have you heard me say anything about what that says about you?"

He sits up, glowering at her. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

She's grinding her teeth, itching to say something really nasty about his past trysts. Half of the scrawlings on the girls' bathroom walls and doors is dedicated to him. It gnaws the hell out of her that he has such a sordid past, a past that she cannot erase.

"You were flirting with him in front of me, Haley!"

Her mouth drops open, the man in front of them looking over his shoulder and wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"I was not flirting! I was making conversation! And you're one to talk. I look away for one second and you're already chatting up that…Barbie."

"I was ma—"

"Don't. And you were so rude to Brandon. What the hell was that thing you did with your head?"

She makes a face, jerking her head like he had earlier at Brandon.

"Rude? I don't know the guy! You wanted me to hug him?"

"Shhh!" the man in front says over his shoulder.

"The movie hasn't even started," Haley hisses, wanting to kick the bottom of his seat.

"'You look stunning, Hales'," Nathan mimics, crossing his arms over his chest. "What the hell was _that_?"

Haley studies him, absently popping popcorn into her mouth as she twists in the seat to face him.

It dawns on her swiftly, his words and his demeanor. Nathan Scott is jealous.

"You're jealous."

"Please," he grunts with an eye roll, sinking lower in his seat and leaning on the side away from her.

He's scowling worse than he was back at the lobby, like he's ready to attack. He wouldn't react like that unless he cared.

"Tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed, athletic. Does that mean that I have a type?"

He narrows his eyes at her jest, his lips tightening to a grim line.

With a lighthearted laugh, Haley tugs at the sleeve of his shirt, wanting him to sit up.

"Hey. Come here."

He reluctantly does so, avoiding her eyes. She places the bucket of popcorn over his thighs, her hand reaching up to knead the nape of his neck gently.

When she feels him relax, she leans close to his ear. "You like me like me."

She presses two kisses to his jaw, her hand cupping his cheek.

Even in the bright lights of the theatre, his eyes are darkened as he looks into hers.

He kisses the corner of her mouth, and then grazes his teeth over her lower lip. She lets out a very soft groan, her lips parting just as he slips his tongue between her lips to touch hers.

"I like you like you," he whispers against her lips, pressing his forehead to hers.

"For the record, I hated it that you were flirting with Barbie."

"For the record, mission accomplished."

She laughs softly, nibbling on his lip before drawing it into her mouth.

Their mouths are molded together until the lights are dimmed.

She's had three lessons tonight. One, Nathan definitely cares for her. Two, she could claw a girl's eyes out just for looking at Nathan the wrong way, and three, she's just realized what a turn-on it is to see him jealous.

* * *

"Is the whole school here?" Haley asks as they stand in the entrance hall of another mansion on his side of town.

Vegas' living room looks like it's holding the entire Tree Hill High population.

Nathan laughs over the loud music, tugging at her hand and shepherding her through the living room. He ignores the flirtatious invites from girls, while she wants to shove them back violently. Can't they see that he's holding her hand?

They get to the big kitchen, a place much quieter even with the kegs and bottles of alcohol on the counters. Screams are coming from the backyard where a large group is partying by the poolside, others throwing each other into the pool while fully clothed.

Nathan heads for the fridge, rummaging through it like he's in search of a snack.

"Your appetite really amuses me," Haley says, sliding up onto one of the empty stools along the kitchen counter.

"And it's still not midnight," he grins, peering through the side of a Tupperware container.

Someone calls his name loudly from outside. He yells back and shuts the fridge, pushing a can of Coke towards Haley.

"Give me a minute?"

"Yeah."

Alone and unsure of what to do or where to go, Haley looks around the vast kitchen, her body swaying slightly to the hip hop beats.

She wonders if Luke or Peyton are somewhere in the party. The odds of that are highly unlikely; they both seem to prefer being in each other's company, talking and arguing about music, rather than being at a party. Which Haley finds is very cute with how broody and moody they are around others.

"Look who let her boyfriend come to the party."

Startled, her head jerks up to the backdoor.

"Oh. Hey, Tim."

Her smile is not returned, and it falters when he scowls. He strolls into the kitchen, plastic cup in hand, eyes redder than the last time she saw him.

"So you decided to see for yourself how the elite live?"

She was willing to let his previous comment go, but the underlying viciousness and mockery in his tone has irritation flashing down her spine.

"So do you, it seems."

The brief silence is accompanied by Tim's deeper scowl, his feet uncoordinated as he moves closer to her.

"I should like you, but I don't," he says slowly, pointing a forefinger at her.

"You're making it hard for me to like you," she retorts, leaning her elbows on the counter so as not to heave at the intense smell of alcohol coming from him.

She really wasn't imagining his dislike for her. Whatever activity Nathan thought of them doing together is out of the question; if it's already hard maintaining her cool, she won't be able to handle it if they were around each other for longer.

A group of guys and girls filters noisily into the kitchen through the backdoor, all of them looking drunk or on the way to drunk.

Brooke Davis stops when she sees Haley, a beaming smile on her face that highlights her dimples.

"Hey! Look who it iiiis! Natey's girlfriiiiend!"

Haley gives them a wave, momentarily looking through the window for a sign of Nathan. She's chatted with some of them briefly, mostly the guys who are Nathan's teammates.

Brooke turns to Rachel. "Natey's girlfriend is here, Rach! She's the one I was telling you about! My former best friend's new best friend!"

Rachel dismisses Haley, resuming her conversation with Vegas.

The group is made up of cheerleaders and jocks, and they are leaning on the counters and each other like they're trying to get their balance.

They're throwing her looks of appraisal, as if they're determining her physical appeal to have received the attention of Nathan Scott and attended one of their parties.

Feeling like a fish in a bowl, Haley wraps her hands around the cold Coke can, wanting to start rambling nonsense to fill the silence.

"Who wants to play a game?" Brooke asks rather loudly before going into a fit of giggles.

Rachel holds her steady. "Which one?"

"I never." Brooke looks at Haley. "We all take turns saying things that we've never done and anybody at the table who has…"

She raises her cup. "…drinks."

"Brooke," Nathan says with a hard edge to his voice as he steps back into the kitchen.

Haley's tension eases some, but not completely. She suddenly wants to run out of the room from all the prying eyes.

Brooke rolls her eyes, throwing an arm around Rachel's shoulders.

"Oh, come on. It's a great icebreaker! We'll get to know your girlfriend better!"

"By having her see into your disgusting habits?"

"Quit acting like such a saint, Nate," Brooke barks furiously. "We all know what you did before Miss Prissy Pants here became your ball and chain."

"That better be the last time you insult her, Brooke."

Haley thinks that she should jump in and defend her honour and reputation but she just stays quiet, more amused than anything at how they are reacting to her being there.

She has a chance to know Nathan's friends. It's also pleasing that he hasn't corrected Brooke about her being his girlfriend.

"You don't have to play," Nathan says quietly from the stool beside her, his hand on her thigh.

Haley just nods, taking a glance around. After two weeks of publicizing their relationship, she's getting used to those looks from girls, that look that's a blend of dislike, hostility and bewilderment.

The nerd and the jock are actually breathing the same air.

"I want to," she mumbles, tapping a finger against the soda can.

Nathan places his hand on the small of her back, that simple gesture earning more curiosity from his friends. When he bends over to peck her lips, Haley swears that everyone is holding their breath.

"Great! Tim, top us up!" Brooke orders.

When cups are full, Brooke looks around the circle, pointing to one of the cheerleaders to Haley's left.

"Bevin, you're up."

"Okay, let's see. I never had a fake ID!"

"Weak," Rachel tells her before drinking.

Haley grins up at Nathan when he takes a drink, a chuckle passing her lips.

"It's like a high school rite of passage," she says with humour.

He laughs, leaning closer to her that the sleeve of his shirt brushes her bare arm.

"One that you're skipping?"

"My turn! I never…I never had sex with an inami…imaminate…imminent object…no, that's not right..."

Brooke frowns, her lips parted as she thinks about what she's said.

"Inanimate," Haley offers.

Brooke grins, lifting the cup to her lips. Most of the girls drink up, the guys whooping excitedly.

"I never…had a threesome."

Coolly, Haley maintains eye contact with Rachel. Feeling movement beside her, she turns away from the redhead, horror filling her mind when Nathan drinks.

"Great sixteenth birthday, right, Nate?" Tim laughs, throwing Haley a mean glare.

"You were there, too?" she snaps at him.

Chuckles go around the circle at Tim's paleness.

Haley turns her head sideways to Nathan, not missing the deadpan air as he looks at her.

It shouldn't be, but it's a shock to her just how adventurous he is. Has been. Questions about his sexual past have crept up in her mind, and it was a conversation she knew that they would have alone. She should have known better than to think people played clean in a drinking game called 'I never'.

The game goes on, her eyes on the still-full plastic cup of the pale orange alcoholic cocktail in front of her, wanting so badly to take a sip.

The three cheerleaders have monopolized the game, and she sits and listens quietly as the questions fly around them.

"I never cheated on my partner."

At this point, Haley is so thirsty that without thinking, she brings the cup to her lips.

The hush that falls over the group has her looking up, realizing her mistake.

Swallowing down the dry cough that's rising in her throat from the burn of the vodka, she says hoarsely, "I was thirsty."

"You're ruining the game," Rachel snarls from across her, and with measured control, Haley ignores her.

"She said she was thirsty," Nathan bites back.

She's so unsure of how to deal with his past. Obviously, he can't change it, but it's taking a lot for her to sit there and feel his shirt brush against her as he takes every sip.

Every goddamn question, he takes a goddamn sip.

"I never had sex on a beach."

"I never got someone drunk just to have sex with them."

"I never had sex with someone twice my age."

One after another, they reveal their sex secrets by downing a drink, Haley's stomach churning every time Nathan takes one.

"I never had sex with more than one person within twenty-four hours."

At Nathan's hesitation, Haley puts her cup down and slides off the stool. She's had enough.

"Drink up," she says softly before walking away, holding her emotions in check.

The amusement has completely faded, bleeding into anger and scorn at the group who are intentionally making it their mission to make her feel out of place and give her a glimpse of Nathan's history.

"What the hell are you doing, Brooke?" he growls angrily, slamming his palm on the counter.

"Cut it out, Nate. No one forced you or her to play."

"Jesus, you are such a bitch when you're drunk."

"You are such an asshole, Nathan."

She had her theories about his past, but she didn't need to have them confirmed, especially in such a public way.

Behind her, she hears Nathan cursing loudly in less than stellar language, Brooke drunkenly saying that he shouldn't be ashamed.

The cold night air cools her heated face as she steps out of the house, shivers traveling through her body and goosebumps rising on her flesh.

She stalks down the poolside in search of a quiet place where she can be alone.

It's her fault, and she brought this on herself. She pushed Nathan to come here after the movie, despite his protests that he wanted to spend time with her.

All along, the intention of the game was to humiliate her, making a point of saying that they knew the things that Nathan had done.

She stops at the corner of the yard, beneath a shady tree whose branches are stooping on the perimeter fence.

Arms wrapped around her waist to ward off the chill, she just stares at the shadow of a swaying branch, replaying the entire game she left behind.

She's horrified, so much so that she wants to cry. Or throw up. When she thinks of him with all those faceless girls…

Sensing that she's not alone, her head rises, tipping slightly to the side.

He's close, but he doesn't attempt to touch her.

"They were sending me a message, you know," she says softly. "That we are oil and water."

Nathan sighs heavily. "I shouldn't have—"

"The truth was bound to come out eventually."

Slowly, she turns to face him, not ready to look him in the eye.

"That…that's a guy I'm not proud of, and if I could, I would change it all, Haley."

Her gaze meets his, and the regret in his eyes throws her.

"How different is it with me, Nathan?"

His brow wrinkles, eyes narrowed. "What?"

"You say that it's different with me. You say that you're different around me. How?"

"For one, I didn't want to come to this stupid party."

"In case your friends revealed your secrets."

She recognizes that storming fury that starts from his eyes and turns his face to stone.

"You knew what I was like before we got together. It's not something I'm proud of, but it's there."

She chooses to be quiet, whereas her mind is in complete chaos. She's running through every question that was asked during the game, her stomach coiling further and further with each one that Nathan drank to.

"Don't do that."

Like he's drawn her out of a horrible daydream, she blinks, his face coming to focus.

"Do what?"

"Torture yourself thinking about those girls. They didn't mean anything. It didn't mean anything."

With a soft, shuddering sigh, she closes her eyes slowly. "It may have not meant anything, but it's still there. It happened, they happened, and I don't…I'm not okay with it."

She feels him move to stand in front of her, his cologne wafting under her nose.

"What are you saying, Haley? That you want to break up with me over something I can't change?"

The consternation in his voice has her opening eyes to look at him. He looks almost fearful of hearing her answer.

"No," she says, shaking her head. It's all so crushing and suffocating, the history he has that she has no part of, the lengthy history with drunken girls and older women.

"How many times do you want me to say it?" he growls fiercely. "None of those girls meant anything! You're turning this into something it shouldn't be!"

His sudden change in attitude jabs at her anger.

"You've cheated on your girlfriends and gotten them drunk just so they would sleep with you, yet I'm the one on the wrong here!?"

"Of course. I forgot that you're little miss—"

"Don't say it. Don't you dare say it. It's hard enough hearing people call me names just because I choose to follow the rules. Newsflash, Nathan! I'm a girl scout! I don't get a kick out of being rebellious, I believe rules are to be followed, not broken, I live a quiet life, and I like it!"

He draws out a heavy breath and shakes his head. "I'm sorry. I like you for all those reasons. I didn't mean to make you feel bad for being who you are."

"And part of who I am is overanalyzing things. I can't downplay what I heard and brush it off like it's meaningless. Imagine if you were in my shoes, Nathan, finding out that kind of stuff about me in front of all those people."

He seems to pale at the thought of her being the one in those situations.

"Would you be taking it with a grain of salt? I doubt it."

If his reaction to Brandon earlier is any indication, she wouldn't be surprised if he demanded for details on her every encounter.

"I didn't want us to come here because this is a part of my life that's over for me. The heavy drinking, the games, the hookups. It's all meaningless to me because I have you."

She looks towards the house, wishing she could wring the cheerleaders' necks for being so heartless.

"Those…those barracudas! They couldn't ask if anyone had ever played strip Monopoly or poker? Because I guarantee you, I would have taken a hell of a drink! Why are you friends with them!?"

He shrugs casually. "We all had play dates together, our parents had dinners and business deals together, and inevitably, we were just drawn to each other."

He gives her a sad smile, taking a step closer to her.

"I can't change my past, Haley," he says softly, sincerely. "Please don't be mad at me for it."

"I…I don't want to be mad at you for things that are unalterable, but it just rankles. You know?"

Not thinking about it for a second longer, Haley slips her hands into the back pockets of his jeans, pulling him even closer.

He seems momentarily surprised at the action, but it is replaced by that dark desire that sends her heart racing.

"I really like you, Nathan. That's why it's so hard for me to deal with this. I just wish that…"

His palms rest over the sides of her waist in a gentle hold, his darkened eyes raking over her face.

"You wish what?"

Her cheeks are burning, but she doesn't shy away from looking at him.

"I selfishly wish that those girls didn't know you like that."

Nathan leans his forehead on hers, a hand moving up to cup the side of her face.

"I never fantasized about my half-brother's best friend," he breathes huskily.

He crashes his lips to hers, their tongues already slipping out to meet each other's. He tastes of vodka and orange soda, his mouth hot when her tongue explores its recesses.

With a soft groan, she holds him closer, backing up to rest against the tree. Her hands slip out from his pockets to his lower back, her fingers clutching his shirt like she can't get him close enough.

She gasps when he grinds against her, their lower bodies connected like two fitting puzzle pieces despite their height difference.

Their lips tear apart for a much-needed breath, eyes glazed over as they gaze at each other.

Nathan runs a hand up her arm, threading his fingers through her hair. He lowers his head to the side of her neck, his lips closing over the skin at the nook of her shoulder.

Haley releases the breath she'd been holding, freeing her lungs from the burn. She feels strange, like she would willingly stand there against that tree and let him do whatever he wanted.

"We should go back," she says, her voice throaty. Her brain feels like it has collapsed.

He smirks, pressing a brief kiss to her lips and putting his arm around her. If he wasn't holding her, she's sure she would crumple to the ground.

"Please don't tell me that you played strip poker with Lucas."

She's surprised that she's able to follow his train of thought. "Taylor and a group of her friends came over one weekend, and I got roped into it."

"Did you win?"

"I bowed out when I realized that I was the only one who was a shirt away from being half naked in the first round."

They're laughing as they step back into the kitchen, the first thing they see being Rachel on the countertop doing a provocative dance for some of the jocks.

"Classy," Nathan mumbles.

Haley laughs softly, more than ready to leave the party. It's not as exciting as she thought it would be. The only person she can talk to is Nathan, and after interacting with his friends, the last thing she wants to do is stick around and bond with them some more.

"All is forgiven?" Brooke slurs as she approaches them. She's frowning at their relaxed postures, like she can't understand why they are not tearing their heads off each other.

"If you're ever in a relationship, Brooke, we can compare notes," Nathan says, moving towards the jocks Rachel is performing for.

He jerks his chin at Vegas. "I need a favour, man."

Vegas stands and they mumble softly between themselves before Vegas passes Nathan something discreetly.

Nathan unwraps his arm from around Haley's shoulders to link their fingers together.

"I got us the key," he says with a grin, ushering her towards a hallway off the kitchen.

"Key to where?"

He squeezes her hand without responding, walking past the few couples making out in the hallway. He branches off to the left, and they come face to face with a door.

He slides a key into the lock and turns the handle.

"The key to the man cave," he says, steering her in first.

Haley chuckles in the dark, waiting as he locks the door behind them.

"The man cave?"

"It's a compromise Vegas made with his dad. Have a party, but keep it away from the cave."

He flips a switch over her head, the large room under the lighting impressing Haley immediately.

"Wow. I can see why Vegas chooses to lock this place up," she says, shedding her sweater.

The basement floor is covered with a thick dark brown carpet, beanbags, futons and a long, lush couch scattered around.

Basketball, baseball and football memorabilia decorate the walls. There's a pool table, pinball machine, foosball table, stereo system, widescreen TV, and a noteworthy shelf of DVDs and video games.

She follows Nathan down the few steps to the leather couch, still in awe at the décor; the local rec centre pales in comparison.

Nathan grabs the remote from the table and turns on the TV.

"You want to watch anything specific?"

"No. This is very nice."

"I think he's insured this place separately."

Haley chuckles, breaking off at the serious look on his face. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," he says, walking towards the corner of the room where there is a fully stocked bar.

"Some of this sports stuff costs a black market kidney. What do you want to drink?"

After removing her shoes, Haley moves towards him to peer over his shoulder.

"What are the options?"

"There's soda, juice, water—"

"What's that?" she asks, pointing to a black bottle.

She takes it from his hand, looking it over with interest. "I'll have this."

"Are you sure?"

She grins, skipping towards the couch and dropping down on the plush rug.

"I feel like trying something new."

He smirks, grabbing two glasses from the bar.

"I'm really sorry about what happened upstairs," he says as he watches her pour out the drinks.

"Being with you…it makes me want to be a better guy."

She passes him a glass, raising hers in the air. "Here's to things gone and things to come."

Nathan leans over, kissing her softly before tapping their glasses together.

They have a good buzz going by the time they're on their fourth glass, Haley liking the combination of tangy and sweet in the alcohol. She doesn't drink much, at all, and she feels drunker than Nathan despite him already having drank upstairs during the game.

"And then she told me…"

She bursts out into uncontrollable giggles. "She told me that she would beat me until I saw stars. My mom had to take her out for a drive to get her away from me. I had no idea that a Ken doll would mean so much to Tay."

"You must have been terrified in your six-year-old shoes," Nathan laughs.

"I thought she would rip my head off."

Their heads fall back on the couch, Nathan turning his to look at her.

"It's really cool that you're close to your parents."

Propping her arm up on the cushion, she leans her cheek in her palm.

"They're kind of odd, and very intrusive. A combination that makes it inevitable for them to be close to their kids."

Not wanting to assume, she asks, "Are you close to your mom?"

Nathan laughs lightly. "No. You'd think that with a dad like Dan I'd have a parent who is the complete opposite. My mom couldn't care less about me as she kisses asses somewhere in D.C. for money."

When he starts talking like that, she just wants to draw him into her arms, wrap him in a big hug and squeeze that bitterness away.

"He's in Charlotte for a car show and he would flip if he knew I was at a party instead of training for the Mason Bowl. He'll find out, anyway."

"Does he have spies in school or something?"

Nathan nods as he takes a long sip. "Most people are terrified of him, and when he corners someone, they end up snitching on me. Those cowards are lucky that I don't know who they are."

Her mouth is open in shock, and she's stupefied at the lengths that Dan would go to.

"What about your mom?" she asks.

"I haven't seen her in weeks. She used to travel at least eighteen days out of every month, but two years ago, it all changed."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure, but I suspect one of them had an affair."

"What?"

Nathan just appears unmoved at the declaration.

"Out of weird convenience, they're still together. I don't know whether they're separated, divorcing or in an open marriage. Whatever it is, it's a freaking mess. I haven't seen her since Christmas, Hales, this woman who is supposed to be my mother. She calls when she wants to, and then gets into a fight with my dad. It's a sick relationship, like they're both hanging on for my sake. And I hate that."

He looks and sounds defeated and forlorn. Her parents are not the most conventional, but they love each other. They're inseparable, and when one of them is out of town, the other looks like they've been kicked in the gut. She can't imagine them any other way.

"Would you be happier if they divorced?"

"I doubt it. My mom would probably split before the ink was dry, and I would be left with my dad. Not like it's any different than how it is at the moment."

He sighs, his head on the cushion of the couch as he stares up at the ceiling. "I guess…I guess in a way it gives me comfort that they're not divorced. It means that no matter where her charity job takes her, she eventually returns because she has a husband who is waiting for her. It means that if worst came to worst, I may have an option of who to live with. It means that I have two parents, not one who I'm stuck with and constantly rides my ass about a sport. Is that twisted?"

"No," she says softly, her fingernails scraping the fine hairs on the nape of his neck.

He handles his problems with his family with such grace. She would have fallen apart at some point.

Nathan gazes at her so intensely that she holds her breath. "I want what they don't have, a relationship that has the things theirs lacks. The unconditional love, the trust, the commitment, the devotion."

He laughs, looking back at the ceiling. "I sound like such a sap, don't I?"

"A sweet sap."

Watching him as he laughs, Haley thinks about what he's said. She wonders if it's what they'll end up having, if she can be what he needs and what he wants. Loving him just seems so effortless that she could find herself in such a relationship with him.

Thunderstruck at the weight behind the thought, Haley sobers up for a moment. Could she love him already?

"Hales?"

His brow is creased, worry outlined in his eyes. She smiles, leaning close to press her lips to his.

Logically, it's too soon to think that her feelings for him are of love. She cares for him a lot. That's it. She cares for him _a lot_.

Love? Too soon. Hardly. No way.

A gleam in the corner of the room distracts her from those overwhelming thoughts. Her vision may be fuzzing up again, but surely, she's not mistaken at what she's seeing?

"Why…why does Vegas have a pole in his basement?"

Nathan quirks an eyebrow, the look enough for realization to dawn on her even in her inebriated condition.

"No!" she says with a little gasp.

He nods, taking a sip from his glass.

"Really?"

Looking over at the brass pole, Haley grins at the insane idea popping into her head.

"Okay. Take this."

She holds her glass out to him, planting her hand on his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" he asks with that amused smirk on his face.

With a half-giggle half-snort, she tries to get her butt off the floor with no success.

"I've never seen you like this," Nathan laughs.

She draws her head closer to him, the tip of her nose brushing on his.

"Now you have."

She can't really tell whether it's because they're drunk that the kiss is more passionate and aggressive than usual, but the mingled taste of his warm tongue and the strawberry-flavoured alcohol hits a nerve with her.

When they break apart, she notices that her legs are over each side of his, her fingers digging into his thighs. She can't recall doing that.

"You taste so damn incredible that it's driving me crazy," Nathan groans huskily, his eyes and words making her hot.

It gives her confidence that she has that reaction on him, and he has the same effect on her. Tingles spiral deep into her body, curling around her gut, tightening between her thighs.

She threads a hand through his hair, angling his head back to meet his lips again. None too gently, she plunges her tongue into his mouth, kissing him with a passion she didn't know she possessed.

Lifting her mouth from his, she drags in a calming breath, feeling his teeth biting at the hollow on the base of her throat.

She places her hand on his shoulder again, and using his body as support, she heaves herself to her feet.

"Don't go," he grumbles from the floor, eyes dazed and glazed.

Haley unsteadily rocks on her feet, giving him an imitation of that sexy smile he's fond of giving her.

"I want to do something," she hiccups, shaking her body loose before running towards the brass pole.

"Show me the pole!"

Her feet are uncoordinated and she misses the pole, falling in a heap on the floor on her butt.

"Whoa!"

"Haley! Are you okay?"

Rolling to her side, she starts laughing, her hand reaching up to rub her butt.

"That's gonna leave a mark."

Nathan appears over her, a grin on his face as he pushes her hair away from her forehead.

"I think we've had enough alcohol for one night."

"Party pooper."

He laughs softly, stretching out beside her, forehead to forehead, nose to nose.

With a long sigh, Haley asks, "Why are you so nice to me?"

His brow scrunches up like he's not understood her question. "What?"

"Why do you like me? There are tons of girls in this school who want to be with you. Cheerleaders. Hotter girls."

"You're hotter."

"I'm being serious, Nathan."

"So am I. I like being with you, since the moment I got all crushed out on you."

Nathan brushes at the stray strands of hair on her cheek, tucking them behind her ear.

"I like you, Hales, and I like that somebody like you sees something in me."

She raises her fingers to his face, lightly grazing them over his skin.

"Somebody like me or me?"

"You already know the answer to that," he whispers, and then kisses her, gently and softly brushing his lips over hers.

"You're my dream come true, Nathan," she murmurs, feeling drowsy and lethargic, resting her head on his shoulder.

He kisses her forehead. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

* * *

The doorbell rings again, for the fourth time, and she decides that whoever is at the door is not going away any time soon.

No longer able to ignore it, Haley groans loudly, swinging her feet to the carpet. The world spins for a moment when she stands, blood rushing to her skull.

"Oh my God…"

She's stumbling towards the door, grimacing at the stinging ache in her head.

Her eyes are squinted as she turns the door handle, her cheek resting on the frame.

"Whosit?"

The chuckle cuts through her weighty head. "If you opened your eyes, I could tell you."

She squints through half-open eyes, drinking in the sight of him in the faded jeans and blue polo shirt. He looks so damn gorgeous that it's sinful.

"Still hung over?" he grins, brushing past her after closing the door.

"I just want to lie down," she grumbles, holding onto the wall as she makes her way back to the couch.

She can't recall much about last night after they began drinking in Vegas' basement. Nathan later bummed them a ride from someone who was sober, a ride she can hardly remember because she had conked out.

"It's really dark in here, Hales," he says, and she swears that he's speaking in high decibels.

"Shhh," she says, waving a hand away.

Cautiously, she stretches out on the couch, too tired to draw the blanket over her body.

It's pretty obvious that she can't handle a hangover.

Nathan moves towards the curtains, drawing them back to let in light. She grimaces, her eyes shutting at the brightness in the room.

He sits on the coffee table, leaning his elbows on his thighs.

"_Bottle Rocket_ is playing at a theatre across town. We could take the train."

She's sure her face is twisting by the second with fatigue and disbelief.

"Are you serious?"

"I promise I won't get you drunk."

She wants to puke at the thought of drinking anything, even water.

"How is it possible that you look like this after last night?"

He looks good, he smells good, and it's infuriating. The shower she took has done nothing to rouse her from her stupor, and the booze is probably resisting the aspirin from working.

Nathan just laughs, holding a takeaway cup under her nose. "I got you hot chocolate."

She gags, pushing it away from her face. "Ugh. Get it away from me."

Most of the morning was spent in the loo puking her guts out.

"I am never drinking like that again. Ever."

Her stomach is churning and rolling, but she can't throw up. There's nothing to throw up anymore.

Nathan sinks to the floor beside the couch, his hand cupping her cheek gently.

"I'm sorry I made—"

"No," she says quickly. "I'm a big girl, Nathan. You didn't make me do anything."

"Lightweight," he teases, earning a chuckle from her. "How's your butt?"

When she laughs, her brain jiggles. "Ow. It's a little sore, but I can live with it. Did I drool on you last night?"

"No, but you were snoring a little bit."

With a gasp, she grabs the pillow under her head to hit him with it. "I do not snore!"

Nathan yanks at the pillow, propping it back under her head. "How would you know? You were passed out."

She's starting to drift into drowsy contentment, a dreamy smile on her lips.

"What the hell was in that drink? I should have known better than to trust something that looked like a milkshake."

"You drank most of the bottle by yourself," he says with a snigger. "Why don't you take a nap? I'll be right here when you wake up."

"I'm sorry about the movie," she mumbles, her eyes fluttering as she gives in to sleep.

"It's okay. We can rent it some other time."

The last thing she feels is the soft blanket over her shoulders and Nathan's lips lightly caressing her own.

* * *

It's mid-afternoon when Haley wakes up, feeling so well rested that she can't resist stretching all her limbs out like a cat.

The sun is beaming through the windows, and unlike this morning, she's grinning at its intensity.

Her eyes land on the notepaper propped up by a stack of books on the coffee table.

In his lopsided handwriting, he's written, "Food run. Back soon."

Tossing the blanket off, she sits up slowly, a hand over her mouth as she yawns. She drops her bare feet to the floor, scuffling her fingers through her hair to straighten it out.

The door opens as she's shaking out the blanket.

"Nathan? I can't tell you how much better I feel after that nap!"

"Nathan?"

She spins on her heels to face him, noting the hard planes of his face as he waits for her to answer. Peyton's beside him grinning inanely like a sly fox.

"Hey, guys."

Lucas cranes his neck like he's trying to make out where Nathan is.

"What happened to you last night? You blew off our golf tournament."

Haley shakes her head at his exaggeration and his latest ability to make her feel guilty for canceling their plans.

It's okay if he cancels on her and goes out with Peyton, but it's completely disloyal for her to do so and go out with Nathan.

"I didn't blow you off. Nathan and I went to a party."

"Vegas'?" Peyton asks.

Haley nods, flinging the blanket over the back of the couch.

"Was it any good?"

Remembering the time she spent in the kitchen with Nathan's friends makes her frown. Her face clears up when she remembers being with Nathan in the basement.

"Some of it was."

Peyton raises an eyebrow knowingly. "How good?"

"You went to a party? Were you drinking?"

"Lighten up, Lucas," Haley grumbles, smacking his arm.

While rubbing his arm, which Haley instantly regrets for hurting him more than she intended, he peers closely at her.

"Your eyes are red."

"Because I was asleep. But yes, in the spirit of full disclosure, I drank last night."

He curses, arms flailing over his head in disbelief. "You were drunk? I knew he was a bad influence on you!"

"I'm not a blank canvas, Luke. Nathan didn't smother his lifestyle and opinions all over me, and then I soaked them in like a sponge. The party was my idea, actually. He didn't even want to go."

"And then you got wasted."

"So smashed," she says in a singsong voice. "I could barely put one foot in front of the other, and the walls were moving. Nathan had to carry me piggyback into the house."

Lucas glowers at her, scowling further when his girlfriend laughs at Haley's performance.

He sits beside Peyton and tugs the remote from her hand. "How much of that is the truth?"

"All of it," Haley replies with a straight face, sitting on Peyton's other side.

Lucas scoffs like he doesn't believe her, flipping through the channels.

"So how are you handling being in his orbit?" Peyton asks.

"Orbit? What orbit?"

"Watch your game, sweetie," Peyton says over her shoulder. "Girl talk about our monthlies."

Luke lets out a choking sound of disgust, increasing the volume on the TV.

"I'm getting used to it," Haley replies softly. "Some people are pretty harsh about seeing us together, though."

After last night, she has concluded that the looks from girls she doesn't speak to are infinitely better than the treatment she gets from people she speaks to, people who know Nathan. They're not hesitant about speaking their minds whereas with the others she can just guess.

"The party?" Peyton prompts.

Haley nods, making a face and curling her fingers to resemble claws.

Peyton chuckles, and Lucas throws them a dubious look. She pats Haley's leg in comfort.

"They play dirty, especially to newcomers. I always felt out of place even when I was with Brooke."

"They're like stereotypical cheerleaders, except that they have less blondes."

The front door opens as Peyton is recounting her first away game with the cheerleaders, the three of them looking towards the entrance.

"Hales? You awake? I got pizza. Sausage and pineapple."

She's off the couch, her hands held out as she waits for him to come into view.

"I'm starving!"

"Best hangover food is anything greasy. I didn't get any sodas since—"

He breaks off when he notices Lucas, the smile on his face falling instantly. The atmosphere changes, tension congealing quickly to bring out the nine-hundred pound gorilla.

"Hey, Peyt."

"Hi, Nate."

Everyone is quiet, the sports anchor's voice filling the silence.

"There's enough pizza for everyone," Nathan says, sliding the box on the coffee table.

Luke stands, placing the remote beside the box. "Actually, we were just leaving."

"We just got here."

"You just got here."

The girls look at each other briefly at their simultaneous protests, Haley then throwing her best friend a look of warning. She hates the way he behaves territorially when Nathan is around.

Nathan waves the DVD in his hand. "I got _Bottle Rocket_. Hales has been talking about watching it for the two hundredth time."

Peyton jerks at Luke's wrist, making him drop like a lump of coal on the couch. They exchange terse words through clenched teeth, Peyton punctuating her last word with a punch to his arm.

Lucas huffs, crossing his arms and leaning back on the couch.

"We're staying," Peyton says with a smile as she looks up at them.

Haley grabs sodas while Nathan grabs the plates. She kisses his collarbone and rubs her hand down his back before they return to the living room.

They eat and watch the movie in silence, Peyton and Haley making the effort to comment on the scenes. They keep exchanging glances of exasperation, none of them enjoying the movie or taking any pleasure in the sudden double date.

"I should get going," Nathan declares less than an hour into the movie.

"What? Why?"

He takes a momentary look at Lucas before grabbing his jacket. As much as Haley wants to smack the back of Luke's head, she catches herself, following Nathan out of the living room.

"Are you sure? I'd love it if you stayed."

"No, it's okay."

"But you're going to be home alone. And I'm home alone. Why can't we be home alone together?"

He chuckles at her whine, slinking an arm around her waist and drawing her close.

"Actually, my dad arrived early. He's been bugging me about working out."

"Has he talked about the party?"

"Not yet." His arms go all the way around her waist, and he lifts her a few inches off the ground.

They kiss for a while until Nathan's phone starts ringing. With a grunt, he lets her go, canceling the call. He kisses her once more, telling her that he'll call her later.

She waves at him from the porch before he pulls away, her eyes watching the car until it's gone around the bend. She slams the door hard behind her, her anger worked up as she returns to the living room.

"Thanks a lot, Lucas!"

He leans forward, face blank, palms facing up. "What? What did I do?"

"You just ran Nathan off like a cave dweller! Are you happy now?"

Luke jumps off the couch, stepping over Peyton's outstretched legs to stand before her.

"How is it my fault that he couldn't handle being around me?"

"Who would want to stick around when you're throwing hexes at them, hoping they choke on their food!?"

"I didn't!"

She wants to push him back, just to give her shaking hands something to do.

"You made him uncomfortable, Luke, and he's going out of his way to be nice to you. Peyt, you saw it, didn't you?"

Drinking from her can, Peyton waves a hand, refusing to be included in the argument.

"Luke, I love you, and I need you to deal with Nathan and I being together. You're related, we're friends, he's my…someone I'm dating who is becoming very important to me. I'm not asking you to become joined at the hip but I would really appreciate it if you resisted squinting and glaring at him."

"Are you telling me that you love him!?"

"Jesus, you're so hard to talk to when you get like this! I like him! I like him a lot, and I need you to make an effort with him! I just—"

She lets out a long sigh, looking up momentarily at the ceiling.

"Please," she begs, ready to burst out into tears. He's her oldest friend, and Nathan is her first relationship. She wishes the two important guys in her life would just find a way to get along.

He looks at her with compassion and remorse, his hand reaching out to her. "Hales…"

She shakes her head as she steps back.

"I'm sorry," he says softly. "It's just not easy to like the guy."

"I didn't treat Peyton horribly when you guys started dating."

"That's different. You're not…"

"We may not be related, but I supported you. I need you to support me."

He nods, pulling her into a hug and squeezing her tightly.

"Make an effort, Luke. That's all I ask."

* * *

**Tim is out of character here. Oftentimes in the OTH fandom, he's perceived as a dimwitted minion. In this story, Tim's not adorably daft – he's mean, especially to Haley. **

**Glad you're still reading…**


	17. Chapter 17

"Is that you Peyton Sawyer? In a dress?"

Peyton laughs as she walks across the room to slide onto one of the stools along the counter.

"Amazing, right?"

"You look really pretty," Haley says, eyeing her up and down. The spring green cocktail dress complements the colour of her eyes, her blonde curls shining under the lights of the café.

"Soak it in because this is a once-in-a-year occurrence," Peyton grins, looking around. "It's quiet here."

Haley bustles around behind the counter, grabbing two cups to pour them some coffee. "Valentine's Day blues. Even Karen split earlier."

She glances at the clock up on the wall. It's just half past seven. There's still time.

"Can I hang out here for a while?" Peyton asks. "I'm supposed to meet Luke and he's running a little late."

Haley nods, going around the counter to sit beside Peyton. "Sure. I'm closing up and Nathan won't be at my place until later. So did the editor like the artwork?"

"He wants more pieces like that."

"It is the reality of high school, anyway. And you being friends with almost everyone, it helps that you know the workings of groups and cliques."

"Problem is that I don't want people to end up lynching me for my work."

"You're not trash talking anyone."

She chinks her cup with Haley's before taking a sip. "And like a coward, I can hide behind anonymity."

"I promise not to let the cat out of the bag. How'd it go at therapy?"

"I swear I could kill my physical therapist. Luke thinks she's constantly jacked up on steroids and crack."

Haley laughs, leaning back on the counter, facing the door. "Does she tell you to try harder by cursing at you?"

"No, but she might as well use them. She's like one of those really mean personal trainers who scream in your ear that you have a disgusting body or something when you're in their spinning class. Do you know where Lucas is taking me?"

Haley shakes her head, trying to keep a straight face. Luke scored them tickets to a burlesque and vaudeville show in the city.

"You're lying."

"Of course I'm lying. So there's no more escape hatch?" she asks, should Peyton grill her further.

Peyton rolls her eyes, a smile playing on her mouth.

"Yeah. My dad thinks we're getting too serious too young. I asked him if he preferred to see me in a monogamous relationship or getting a reputation as a revolving door that any guy uses."

She bites her lip, and then she says simply, "I'm falling for him, Haley. I've already fallen for him."

"Have you told him?"

"I've wanted to, but every time I open my mouth with intent to say it, I chicken out."

Haley knows exactly what Peyton means. She feels so strongly for Nathan, and she's beginning to chalk it up to something stronger than like. Her shying away from her feelings, dubbing them caring for him more than a friend would, is just cowardice.

Sometimes she's afraid that one of these days, she may blurt something that will send them both into complete shock; her at the sudden admission, him at the three words that would instantly change their relationship and his perception of her.

Perhaps it's just too soon for it to be love. She must be mistaking it for something else.

"You should, Peyt." She glances at Peyton's exposed leg, at the healed scar on her calf.

"Remember that? It got you to give a relationship with him a shot. One second changed everything, and you shouldn't wait for the next bullet to say what you have to say."

She finds it completely ironical that she's dishing out advice she's not following. At this point in her relationship with Nathan, they've admitted they like each other. But in the way they both say it, the way they look at each other or treat each other, it goes beyond just liking each other. It's been building for months, and pretty soon, one of them will burst.

Peyton heaves a deep sigh. She swings her leg, the tip of her ballet flat hitting against the wood of the counter.

"What if he rejects me?"

Haley shakes her head firmly. What Lucas feels for Peyton is nothing close to dumping her if she admitted her feelings.

"Do you really believe that?"

Peyton hunches a little, resting her elbows on the counter. "It's a big step, though. It makes the relationship extremely real. No backing out."

"That's not a bad thing, Peyt. He could end up being the love of your life."

"You've been watching too many romance movies, Haley," Peyton says good-naturedly. "And speaking of romance, how's yours with Nathan? You have that boy on his toes."

"That is very nice to hear."

The giggles overtake them, and when they look at each other, they burst out laughing.

"Why are we laughing?"

Haley shrugs, releasing a chuckle. "I guess we're just ridiculous."

Just as she's lifting the cup to her lips, she sees someone walking up the steps of the café.

"Your date is here."

Peyton sits up straighter, smiling broadly as she slides off the stool to greet him.

The bell above the door chimes when Luke steps in, dressed casually in jeans and a dress shirt.

"Hey, Luke," Haley waves.

"Hi," he returns distractedly, seemingly rooted to the spot a foot away from the door.

He's not even looking at her, his eyes transfixed on Peyton, mouth agape.

"Wow."

It's always a good sign when a girl leaves a boy speechless.

Peyton smoothes down her dress as she meets him. Luke recovers, bending over to kiss her mouth.

"Aww, you two are so sweet together," Haley gushes.

The blonde-haired pair looks at her; she has to swallow down a smile at the hint of a blush that steals across Luke's cheeks.

His hand on the small of Peyton's back, Luke guides her towards the door.

"Have fun!" Haley calls out behind them as they exit the café.

Peyton winks over her shoulder, looping her arm with Luke's. "You, too."

When they're gone, Haley hurries locking up the café. She may have time but she wants enough of it to get home, shower and change, and ready everything.

Nathan had offered to pick her up from work but she had declined, not wanting to see him until he showed up for their date.

It's not their first date, but the nervous excitement strumming through her reminds her that she's never had a Valentine's Day date that wasn't with Lucas.

There's so much of that anxiety bubbling that she wonders why it feels like there's a lot riding on this particular date. Nathan is a great guy, they've gone on several dates, they've publicized their relationship…She shouldn't be this nervous.

It's just that she has never been so emotionally invested in a guy before.

* * *

She's just put the final touches to the setup when she hears the muffled slam of a car door.

Blowing out the matchstick in her hand, Haley throws it in the bin, taking a last look around the living room. She rushes to the mirror in the foyer, patting down her hair and clothes with slightly trembling fingers.

She curses herself out, telling her reflection to play it cool. It's just another day, it's just another date, not a moment of doom.

At the knock, she whips her head to the door, dragging out a long, slow breath. Calmly, she takes the few steps to the door, turning the handle.

The smile on his face is infectious, and she can barely pull her lips together to look cool, calm and collected.

He looks incredible in jeans, a polo shirt and a bomber jacket. It's a chilly night, the change in weather earlier in the afternoon having made her change their plans for the evening.

"Hi."

Her grin lengthens and she pulls him into the house by the hand, slamming the door shut and pinning him against it.

"These are for you," he says with an appreciative smile and a hint of laughter in his voice.

She lays the bouquet on the hall table, her lips meeting his in a heartbeat, his hands moving smoothly to rest on her lower back just as quickly. Her tongue dances on his bottom lip as she urges him to open his mouth for her. It starts as a wonderfully lazy kiss of slow licks and then alternates to one of rapturous greed.

"Hi," she finally responds, exhaling slowly.

"We should make that a regular greeting," Nathan says, threading his fingers through hers.

She can't resist standing on her toes to kiss him lightly.

"I missed you a little bit. Are you ready to be romanced?"

He laughs. "Lead the way."

She has turned her living room into a picnic spot. The coffee table has been pushed off to the side, the space allowing for a thick blanket to be laid out over the rug. Large and small pillows are piled over the blanket and against the couch for support, a picnic spread in containers in the middle of the blanket.

The lights are low, a few lit candles spread around the room, and music plays on softly in the background.

"You like it?" she asks eagerly.

It's romantic, it's simple and it's more personal than a dinner at an extravagant restaurant.

Nathan's arm around her waist tightens. "This is incredible, Hales. Did you slave around in the kitchen for this?"

With a grin, she tugs at his hand, leading him towards the blanket.

"Nope. All of it is courtesy of Karen's Café. We have some crusty bread, roasted chicken, turkey roast, fries, strawberries, chocolate cake and hot cider."

"Lucky for you I'm starving," he says, chucking his shoes and jacket before sinking down beside her.

She laughs, her hand stroking his back. "How did practice go?"

"Everyone was bored. No one wanted to be there."

"Everyone had a date?"

His nose crinkles. "Not all of them exactly had dates…"

She chuckles softly, running her finger playfully down the bridge of his nose. "Why don't we wash our hands and then you can feed me some of this? I've heard it's something couples do."

Cell phones off to keep away distractions, they talk through the meal, feeding each other in between laughs and kisses.

"You really don't have one."

"Nope."

"How did that happen? Everyone has one."

"My parents kind of forgot to include it on my birth certificate."

"What?"

"My mom thought my dad had done it, and he thought that she'd done it, and by the time they realized it, it was a little too late."

"If you did have it, what would it be?"

"Joy."

His lips curve at the corners, knuckles lightly caressing her cheek. "It suits you. You do make me happy."

"Corny much?"

"I could do it all night."

He slides his thumb across her lower lip before leaning down and gently pressing his lips to hers.

A punch of need hits her and she turns into him to deepen the kiss.

He breaks the kiss sooner that she would have liked, Haley letting out a small sigh against his lips as she opens her eyes.

She touches his cheek gently, returning the lazy smile he's giving her. "Ready for the movie?"

"I know it's Valentine's Day but please tell me that we are not watching one of your chick flicks."

Sitting up, Haley chuckles as she moves towards the TV. "Nothing mushy, I promise. But trust me when I say that I'm going to spring that on you soon. I thought I'd give you a break from the last one."

He shakes his head, letting out a long-suffering sigh. "You can't blame me for dozing off."

"Dozing off? You were sound asleep throughout the remaining forty-five minutes of the movie."

He leans back on the couch, urging her to sit between his parted legs. Haley rests on his firm chest, drawing a blanket around their legs, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Thank you for tonight."

She feels a rush at the warmth of his breath on her skin, and she cranes her neck slightly to look up at him.

"I don't want you to think that we have to go to fancy places for our dates."

"You're a simple girl, aren't you?"

"Yep."

His grin stretches, and he dips his head to kiss her. It's a slow kiss, like they're just delighting in enjoying each other's taste.

Haley can feel his heart pounding strongly, an erratic beating that matches her own thumping heart. Her fingers trace slowly along his arm, his lean muscles flexing under her touch.

When they draw apart, her head falls back on his chest, his chin on the top of her head. They remain that way, curled up together against the couch, hands lightly touching as the movie plays.

Halfway through, they move from the floor to the overstuffed couch, snuggling into the cushions side by side.

Nathan idly strokes his fingers through her hair, and Haley begins to feel drowsy, getting drugged by the soothing motions on her scalp.

His lips on her cheek awaken her. Her eyelids flutter leisurely, her eyes meeting the final credits on the darkened screen.

"Oh, jeez."

She lays there for a moment before shifting in his arms, rolling over to face him. His eyes are staring down at her, amusement playing across his face.

"Now who fell asleep throughout the remaining forty-five minutes of the movie?"

The rumble of his laughter makes her laugh throatily.

"Sorry."

"I have something for you," Nathan says.

"Hm?"

She's absentminded, her brain addled from sleep and kisses.

"It's in the car. I'll be right back."

Understanding dawns on her foggy brain, cooling off the longing that is sleeting through her. There's no time for her to react before he's leaping off the couch and making his way to the front door.

While he's gone, she clears away the remnants of their dinner, leaving only the desserts.

The door opens and closes, and she leans back on the couch, appreciative about his thoughtfulness to get her something.

"What is it?" she asks, trying to see what he's hiding behind his back.

With a mischievous smile, he reveals a purple gift bag, extending it to her and plunking down on the couch.

Holding the bag on her lap, she can't keep the full-on smile from her face. The fragrance of lilacs and violets reaches her nose before she's retrieved the box completely.

She's open-mouthed as she stares at the box set of perfume and lotion. Expensive perfume and lotion.

Her heart fluttering, she gazes up at him; she has never felt so much like a girl, like a woman, until she met him.

"Nathan…"

"Happy Valentine's Day, Haley."

He gives her one of his genuine smiles, not the smirk he doles out to everyone.

"Thank you," she whispers, her fingertip sliding along the edge of the box.

She looks up at him for a moment, a blush starting on her cheeks.

"I feel stupid for what I got you."

She now doubts deciding on getting him something so…boring.

Hers is close by, hidden behind the couch. It's a bigger bag than the one he gave her, and she watches as he reaches in and plucks through the tissue paper.

The heat spreads to her neck when he draws out the package, a gift set of a grey dress shirt and tie.

As she stares down at the perfume set on her lap, Haley feels abashed and embarrassed; their gifts are of incomparable monetary value.

From the corner of her eye, she catches a slow smile spreading across his lips.

"This is the most practical gift I have ever received for Valentine's Day."

Haley rolls her eyes, nudging his side gently. Nathan chuckles, and snaking an arm around her waist, he pulls her closer to his side and drops a kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you," he says, nuzzling his nose to hers.

Setting their gifts aside, Haley reaches towards the floor and picks up a plump strawberry from the bowl.

"Dessert?"

She twists off the stem and drops it back into the bowl. With a coy smile, she places the strawberry halfway between her lips and sinks her teeth into it. Leaning in, she brings the other half to his lips, her breath catching at the hunger in his eyes and the thrill in the moment.

She teases the fruit over his lips until they part, his teeth clamping down on it.

He licks his lips after swallowing before sucking the remaining strawberry from her, his mouth lightly touching her lower lip. His darkened eyes are completely mesmerizing, and she holds back a wild response to the eclectic heat gliding up and down her body.

Strawberry juice glistens on his lips, and she gently runs the tip of her tongue over the glaze.

"You taste heavenly," she murmurs huskily at the sweet, tang of strawberry on her tongue.

Sucking in a breath, Nathan spears his fingers into her hair and lowers his mouth to hers. Their tongues meet instantly, and he leans back on the couch, dragging her with him.

The kisses are frenetic; her hands rise to grasp his arms as she gives him kiss for kiss, bodies rocking back and forth.

He breaks it off, his lips burning their way along her jaw line and down her throat. And then he gently sits them up and guides her away from him.

There's an apologetic smile on his lips as he leans forward to kiss the tender spot beneath her ear.

"Sorry," he breathes into her hair.

Confused, she pulls back to look at him. "Why?"

Brow raised, he looks down at his lap. Her eyes follow, widening slightly at the bulge behind the fly of his jeans.

She feels her face flush with embarrassment. She doesn't know how to react, having never been in such a situation before. It's perfectly normal, she tells herself, and girls are lucky that they can hide it better.

Her eyes rise to his face, colliding with the sheepish grin on his face. She smiles to break the tension, her lips caressing his lightly before she buries her head in his chest.

"Don't be," she murmurs, flattered that she can do that to him.

His fingers slide through her hair, his chest falling like he's let out an extended breath.

Hand splayed on his chest, she lifts her head to look into his eyes. The corners of his mouth are twitching in a subtle smile.

"Do you want to watch another movie?"

"Sure."

She had borrowed the movies with him in mind, and this one involves many high-speed car chases and rumbling engines.

"I had a really good time tonight, Hales. A night in with my girlfriend is way cooler than being in a crowded restaurant."

Her heart does some aerobics, her mouth cracking into a smile as she inserts the disc. With that slick smile, she eases herself back on the couch, legs under her thighs, body curling up to his side.

"Girlfriend, huh?"

He stretches his arm along the back cushions of the couch, encircling her shoulders, his fingertips dancing along the short sleeve of her lacy blouse.

"Girlfriend. We have been dating for months. We just hadn't made it official."

She plants short pecks at the warm, bare skin under his open collar. "You are quite charming, you know that?"

He smirks, leaning in to kiss her softly. "You haven't even seen my A-game."

"Lord help me if that's true."


	18. Chapter 18

**My sincerest apologies for not keeping up with the regular updates...**

* * *

From her spot on the porch steps, Haley raises her head after her stomach calms down to look both ways for a sign of Nathan. The street is clear.

She is nervous. And terrified.

After getting her learner's permit, her father took her out on a drive. They got as far as the first stop sign before she stepped out of the car.

Her fear isn't crippling as she often uses cars and buses; she considers it an inconvenience to her friends when she's begging for rides.

Although she's sometimes guilty of hanging onto the dashboard whenever a car is going too fast, the fear is rooted in being behind the wheel.

She must have been crazy to agree to do this. It was Valentine's Day, they were watching a movie including many car chases, she was running on an adrenaline rush from watching said car chases and making out with Nathan…All that craziness must have malfunctioned her brain so badly that it led her to saying yes to him teaching her how to drive.

Perhaps it's not too late to blow it off. She could fake a stomachache, a severe headache, or too much homework.

Nathan will know she's faking it, anyway. She's been putting off the lesson for days, conceding just so he would quit pestering her about it.

She looks around again. His car is not in sight but there's a maroon Toyota Corolla coming down the street. Not giving it a second thought, she turns away, rubbing her palms on her jeans. The lesson hasn't even begun and she's already a bundle of nerves.

At the monophonic honk that tears through the neighbourhood, she turns her head to the source. The maroon Toyota is coming to a stop at her house.

Peering closer, she breaks into a smile when she recognizes the driver through the open passenger side window. She jogs over, leaning on the hood and raking her eyes around the inside of the car.

"Is this another trade-in?"

"Nope."

"Whose is it?"

"Matt's."

"Who's Matt?"

"Tim's cousin. Daylight's burning, chatterbox," Nathan says, stretching his hand to unlock the door.

After some hesitation, she slides into the car, scanning the interior again as she tugs at the seatbelt.

"Manual?"

"Best way to learn," he grins, shifting gears and driving down the street.

Giving him a skeptical look, Haley peers into the backseat. It's an old car model but it doesn't feel like it's rotting as they drive away.

"Are you sure?" she asks, a nervous catch in her voice.

With an eye on the road, Nathan reaches over the console for her hand, lightly squeezing it.

"I learned how to drive in this car. I just think it's better if you also did than with an automatic."

She lays her free hand over his, nodding a few times, like she's trying to convince herself to go through with this.

"Where are we going?"

* * *

"We should stop. I'm going to kill a cow."

"We've come too far to stop. You just need to try a little harder. And there are no cows in sight. It's an empty field."

"I'm tired of trying! You take over!"

"I'm not taking over. You need to relax."

"I am!"

"Are you sure? Because you've been holding onto the wheel like you don't want it to run from you."

"Exactly!"

"We can't do this unless you're relaxed, Hales."

"It's not really about that. I mean, even if I learn how to do this, I'll still be nervous about driving on the road. What if I get into an accident? What if someone drives me off the road? What if I hit someone?"

"I know this is one of your worst fears but you're not going to start driving tomorrow. We're just practicing. Even if it takes months, we'll do this until your anxiety has eased. And when you feel braver to take the road, you'll drive at your own pace."

"But won't I get pulled over and ticketed for under speeding? Why are you laughing?"

"Of course you would look at something like this from all angles. Let's just see how it goes today, alright? Take a deep breath. Good. We'll go extra slow, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay. Press down on the clutch and start it up…good…shift the gear…release the clutch slowly…you released it too quickly."

"I can't do this, Nathan! I swear that if we stop with this lesson, I will sign up again for driving classes. With an automatic. Or I could just buy a scooter!"

"Listen to me, Hales. It's good to know how to drive a stick in case you're in a situation where a skill like driving a stick will come in handy."

"What kind of situation?"

"Say someone passed out on the wheel and you had to drive them to the hospital."

"You are really not giving me the confidence to do this, you know."

"I had to say it. One more time, okay? Deep breath. Good. Let's start again…press down on the clutch…that's good…put it on first gear…that's it…this time, release the clutch slowly while you bear down on the gas…now let go of the clutch and gas it up…that's it!"

"This is fun!"

"It's not so bad, right? Slow down."

"I could get used to this!"

"Much slower, Hales!"

"Sorry! I hope I didn't bust the engine or something."

"I doubt it. It would be clicking and chugging by now."

"It was nice of Matt to let you use his car."

"I told him my girlfriend had never seen a car with a stick shift and she needed a lesson in history."

"Ha, ha."

"I— make a turn! Make a turn!"

"Oh, God! I'm so sorry! Are you okay!?"

"I'm fine. If you keep this up, you could be quite a force behind the wheel on highways."

They both chuckle, Haley's hands shaky as she releases them from around the wheel.

"Does this mean we can take a break?"

He smiles devilishly, unfastening his seatbelt and slipping into the backseat.

Haley stumbles behind him, and like with finesse, Nathan shifts so that she's beneath him. She has stopped questioning some of his skills, rather preferring to enjoy them.

The kisses are gentle and demanding, Nathan's fingertips lightly tracing her face.

"You smell like passion fruit," he sighs against her neck.

"Shower gel," she breathes, tilting her head back.

Their lips lock again, hands already reaching under clothes for skin, Haley moaning when he sucks her bottom lip into his mouth.

Nathan's hand moves from gripping her hip to slipping under her top, palm splayed on her waist, his mouth never wavering from hers.

It's a new territory for Haley, this step further into their physical relationship. He's had a starring role in her dreams lately, and if Nathan Scott kisses like he makes love, she is in for quite a treat.

The movement of his hands on her body sends shockwaves to her veins, her body quivering under his touch. Slowly, the apprehension and fear creep into her thoughts, subduing the yearning and bliss.

Her lips drop from his, her hand resting on his chest as she looks up at him.

"I've never done this before," she says, their panting breaths hot against each other's mouth.

Her eyes shy away from his, focusing on a spot over his shoulder, breathlessly waiting to hear him speak.

She knows that he knows that she's a virgin, since that party at his beach house, but he's never said anything about it.

It's just such a futile attempt to hold on to her inhibitions when they're making out like this.

Finger beneath her chin, Nathan tilts her face to him but she shuts her eyes.

She feels him kiss his way to her ear, whispering, "Hales. Look at me."

She opens one eye, and then another, the smile on his face momentarily taking her breath away.

"We are not going to do anything that you're not ready to do, okay?"

He leans down and softly kisses her. "I just want to be with you."

With a smile, Haley reaches up for his face, lowering it to hers and meeting his lips. She feels relieved that she's told him where she stands when it comes to sex.

Long ago, she had wanted to wait until…later; when she was done with high school, when maintaining her GPA to get into her dream school wasn't weighing heavily on her.

Long ago was just the summer, before the school year began, before she began tutoring Nathan, before spending time with him sent her mind and body spiraling into the sexosphere.

Every moment she's with him, her body reaffirms that she's going to change her mind. Where or when, she doesn't know, but if this thing with Nathan gets serious, he may just be her first.

Now that he knows, what exactly is going to happen? He could completely withdraw from her, preferring to give her chaste kisses on the cheek like she's a great aunt.

Which would humiliate her more than appease her.

"But I do like to cop a feel now and then," he says when they break apart, brushing his finger on the skin of her waist.

"Perv."

With a laugh, Haley softly kisses his lips, her hand resting lightly on his cheek.

"So you said that I had another lesson?"

He breaks out into a grin, looking out the window. "You're going to drive up that hill."

Her lips part in shock as she stares at the hill, a hill that looks like quite the mountain from where she is.

"And you also need to know how to change a tyre."

Chickening out from doing any more driving, or willing to learn how to change a tyre, she smiles at him suggestively.

"Or we could just make out some more."

"I like that option."

* * *

"Are you delirious?"

_"Come on, Hales. It's going to be fun. I have an instructional video and everything."_

Peyton has been pleading her case for the last three minutes but Haley isn't biting.

_"Spread your wings a little, Miss James. Learn new things."_

"Spreading my wings is trying a different dish at my favourite restaurant, not supporting your fantasy of tantric yoga where chances are that I'll break my hip."

_"How many times do I have to tell you that it's not tantric yoga! It's plain yoga. Of course, the limberness we develop afterwards will come in handy, but we're doing this for us. For us, Haley!"_

With a sigh and an eye roll at her friend's dramatics, Haley digs a hand through her hair.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

_"Who else am I going to ask?"_

"Lucas?"

_"Lucas? The boy is flexible enough as it is."_

Her head drops to her palm and she lets out a soft groan.

"We started by talking about an English assignment, and now you're giving me a glimpse of what you and Lucas do under the roof of your house."

_"It's the truth. He can be…very bendy when he wants to be."_

"Oh my God. Peyton, please. This is my best friend you're talking about."

_"I seriously don't get how you don't see him the way I do. It certainly helps that he has one hell of a pack—"_

She presses the end button on her phone, feeling bile rise up her throat at the things Peyton was describing.

It's one thing to see Luke and Peyt stick their tongues down each other's throats when she's around, and another to hear about the activities that follow.

She grabs two bottles of water from the fridge, shutting the door with a bump of her hip.

"Haley!" Nathan yells from the living room.

"Coming!"

Her phone trills and she picks up after a quick glance at the screen. "Fine. I'll do it."

_"Great! We'll start tomorrow. I'll come by at 7AM."_

"Seven? Are you out of your mind? Tomorrow is Sunday!"

_"Fine. Eleven better for you, grumpy? Don't eat anything. It will make it harder for you to move."_

With that, Peyton hangs up, like she's worried Haley may change her mind if they linger on the phone for too long.

"Okay, I'm out of soda so you'll have to do with water," she says as she steps back into the living room.

She passes him a bottle of water and sinks in beside him on the couch, placing the bowl of popcorn between them.

"I can't believe you've never watched _Lord of the Rings_," he says, directing the remote at the TV.

"It's not my kind of movie," she replies, curling a fist around some popcorn.

Nathan grins, wriggling his eyebrows as he draws her legs over his lap. "Good thing it's my turn to make you watch something I like."

She laughs in response, leaning an elbow on the armrest. "Oh, is that how it is?"

He gives her a smirk, one eyebrow quirked up. "I hope you're not planning to fall asleep."

"I'm not planning to," she starts, getting comfortable, "but my legs are killing me after all that driving."

"Poor Hales," Nathan says with a mocking pout.

She rolls her eyes at him, stifling the impulse to grin. "Just play the damn thing."

"Not with that attitude, I won't."

"Oh my God, I can't believe I'm about to watch _Lord of the Rings_! This is like, so totally awesome!" she sings, her facial features animated.

"You would make a very good cheerleader," Nathan laughs.

"Only in your dreams, Scott."

"So it's not you who screams my name from the bleachers during games?"

She can barely focus on the movie, her eyelids fluttering from drowsiness. She can understand how he feels about her romantic comedy movies.

From the corner of her eye, she catches Nathan dart her an inquisitive gaze.

"What?"

"You're sleeping."

"I'm not," she answers, sounding like she was already drifting off.

"You just did this," he says, demonstrating by tilting his head forward and then jerking it back up.

"Why are you watching me when you should be watching the screen?"

He shoots her a pointed look as he turns away.

Sleep is catching up with her and before she knows it, his fingers are on her elbow, the gesture heaving her out of her nap.

"Haley!"

She sits upright, her eyes popping open to meet the frozen scene on the TV.

"Huh?"

Nathan is peering at her with a frown. "You're snoring and we're not even halfway through the first one."

Rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands, her head falls back on the couch like she's ready to burst out into tears.

"We're not halfway through the first one?"

The last time she was so bored and disconnected from a film was during health class, and that one was about sexually transmitted diseases.

"It's so boring, Nathan! There are no cell phones, there are creepy elves, and don't even get me started on that weird, old, creepier thing with the big head and three strands of hair. I can't relate to characters like that."

He just shakes his head in disbelief. "I don't understand how you can say that when you read books where people use chamber pots. _Lord of the Rings_ is one of those seriously good, epic fantasy franchises with outstanding directing and acting. What? Why are you smiling?"

"I think it's adorable that you're so passionate about the movie."

"Movies. Plural, Hales. _Movies_. And I'm not adorable."

She makes a funny face, wiggling her fingers at him, lowering her voice.

"My preci—"

"No."

She crinkles her nose, pointing a finger at him. "By the way, I do not snore. One of these days someone will overhear you and think that I actually snore."

"Would you rather I said that you drool?"

"I would rather that you said neither."

His cell phone starts to ring, a heavy sigh coming from him when he looks at the screen.

"Who is it?"

"My dad. He keeps calling me."

"Maybe it's important."

"He was demanding that I get home for weightlifting when I picked up the first time. I doubt something drastic has happened."

He changes the channel to a local one, placing the remote on the coffee table.

"Even God took a day off," Haley says, wishing her didn't have to go.

Nathan grabs his jacket from the armchair opposite the couch when he stands.

"He thinks time off is for weak players who don't want to be in the NBA bad enough. I should quit basketball just to stick it to him."

She may have not met Dan yet, but she despises him for treating Nathan like a basketball mule, constantly hounding him about bettering his already perfect game.

That kind of pressure would make anyone insecure about his or her abilities, and sometimes she can see the self-doubt in Nathan. He may be the vice-captain of the team, which Dan cannot forgive Whitey for despite Nathan being a junior playing with seniors, but he can be hard on himself, especially on game days.

"Better the asshole you know," he says with an unconvincing grin, turning the door.

She smiles faintly, biting into the soft flesh of her lower lip. She can't imagine what it must be like for him going home to Dan's tyrannical persona every day.

She wonders if at their age there is some legal framework that would ease that kind of burden from his shoulders.


	19. Chapter 19

"No," Peyton moans. "I can't do it."

Flexing her stiff shoulders, Haley pauses the playing instructional DVD and with some energy, she tosses the remote on the couch across the living room.

They pushed aside the furniture to give themselves plenty of space to stretch, and they've been grunting and falling over with each unsuccessful pose.

"I am going to kill you, Peyton Sawyer. I agreed to do this, especially because you told me that your jacked up physiotherapist suggested it. Now you want to quit?"

"Yes?"

Peyton's sprawled on the floor, arms and legs slanted in different angles, perspiration on her reddened skin. Haley almost feels sorry for her but the stress rolling through her has wiped out all understanding. Yoga is supposed to make people feel good, not wind them up as tight as a rubber-band ball.

"I could have slept in!"

The blonde turns over onto her back, reaching to untie her ponytailed hair.

"I am not a contortionist!"

"You're the one who wanted to do this!"

"I didn't think it would be this hard!"

"You were a cheerleader! You got tossed in the air and did back flips and all those cheerleading moves!"

"I never did any of that stuff! I helped toss and flip people but I never got tossed!"

They're both riled up, looking as if they could slit each other's throats.

Peyton sighs heavily, falling back on the floor and shutting her eyes.

"Okay, let's just take a breather before we start screaming at each other."

"Haven't we already?"

With her own loaded sigh, Haley drops down beside Peyton. "My arms are way too tired to smack the back of your head, anyway."

They look at each other and then burst out into outrageous, idiotic laughter.

"Oh, that hurts so much already," Peyton cringes, palm over her stomach.

"This is so not going to happen again, Sawyer."

"Never again," Peyton grumbles in agreement.

Haley stares up at the ceiling, her mind getting transported to the batch of papers tucked away in the drawer of her study desk upstairs, papers that she printed as a result of research.

It's a completely unordinary option, a last resort when all else has failed, and she wonders if she is completely crazy to bring up the discussion with Nathan.

"Have you ever…" she begins tentatively. She pauses, thinking of what to say next.

"Have you ever felt like you're witnessing something horrible you can't control in someone's life?"

Slowly, Peyton lifts her upper body, propping herself up on an elbow. She's like that for half a second before she falls back on the floor on her side, arm stretched out.

"I can't say that I have."

She doesn't speak for a moment.

"Is there something that's bothering you?" she then asks with concern in her voice.

"It's Nathan," Haley admits, turning her face towards Peyton.

"He's not sick," she says quickly at the look of fear on Peyton's face. "I just worry about him when it comes to his dad."

"Dan is a jerkface."

They laugh again, this time less hilariously.

"He gives everyone a headache," Peyton says.

"I haven't met him yet."

Peyton's eyebrows shoot up. "So Nathan has been keeping you away from the big bad wolf."

They've always spent time at her house, the docks, the café or the school. Elsewhere but his house.

She has chosen to believe that it's because he doesn't want her to see what it's like for him at home, not because he's so embarrassed about dating her that he doesn't want her to meet Dan.

But today, at her insistence, they're meeting at his house. She wants to at least see where he goes at the end of the day.

"I don't like him from what he did to Luke and what Nathan tells me about him."

She thinks that Nathan would qualify to be an emancipated minor. His father is emotionally abusive, his mother is emotionally and physically absent, and it all doesn't seem to be disappearing any time soon.

If he were to be emancipated, he would be legally free of their control and custody, completely independent to make autonomous decisions, answering to no one but himself.

"Is it crazy for me to think that he would be better off alone?"

"Like living alone alone?"

"Yeah."

"Is that possible?"

"If he got emancipated, yes."

Peyton nods, humming in thought. "It's nice that you care so much about him. Have you mentioned it to him?"

Haley shakes her head as she sits up. The effect of their hour-and-a-half bogus yoga session is really starting to show.

"Am I meddling? Poking my nose where I shouldn't?"

"If you didn't meddle, you wouldn't care about him."

Peyton raises her head, wincing in protest as she supports herself on her right hand.

"I badly need a sugar boost. God, I hope I find half a Cadbury Dairy Milk in my glove compartment."

Haley laughs, getting to her feet and holding her hand out to Peyton.

"If you give me a ride to the café, I'll buy you lunch."

* * *

"See you tomorrow," Haley tells Karen as she reaches for her bag from behind the counter.

"Okay. Thanks, kiddo."

The bell above the door chimes, Lucas stepping in with a basketball under his arm.

Grabbing her jacket, Haley walks slowly towards him, her muscles protesting with every movement like they've been for hours.

"Hey, Luke."

"Hey, stranger."

She rolls her eyes, slipping on her jacket. She strangles on a muted gasp as she stretches her arms.

"Want to play some golf?"

She slides the purse onto her shoulder, pushing the door open. Even if she had a moment, she wouldn't be able to play as well as she usually does. Damn Peyton and her harebrained ideas for causing havoc on her body.

"Can't. Sorry. I have a study session with Nathan."

"It's Sunday."

From the bottom of the stairs, she looks up at him. "Making up for lost time. We can play tomorrow."

There's a hard expression on Luke's face, a tic along his jaw. He's angry about something.

"You okay?"

She knows her relationship with Nathan wouldn't send him to buying celebratory fireworks.

He waits for the customer walking up the stairs to enter the café before saying, "He's using you, Haley. He's using you to get to me."

They haven't had as much time as they used to for catching up since he got together with Peyton and she with Nathan and clearly, whatever he's been feeling has been festering.

"Luke…"

"And it is. It's gotten to me."

When she curses, he rushes down the steps to meet her on the sidewalk. He rests the basketball at his feet before placing his hands on her shoulders.

"He doesn't like you for real, Hales."

She would be lying if she said that she hadn't questioned why Nathan was with her. Those insecurities that creep up would have driven her crazy whenever a girl prettier than her showed interest in Nathan because truth be told, the man was quite a looker. She chose not to dwell on them for too long, rationalizing that he had never given her a reason not to trust him.

But the moment Lucas uttered those words, every fence and wall she's built to fend off all those doubts fell.

There's a glob of pain at the back of her throat, and she just wants to cry.

She wants to know if Luke is saying the words out of meanness or if he really believes that someone like Nathan wouldn't like someone like her.

Gulping down that knob, she gently eases from his hold, giving him a shaky, fake smile.

"I'll see you later, okay?" she says hoarsely, turning away.

A tear slowly slides down her cheek as she takes quick steps towards the bus stop.

When she hears him call out how sorry he is, she chokes out a sob, terrified that her best friend might be right.

* * *

She's composed herself as she walks through Nathan's neighbourhood. Stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jacket, Haley makes her way slowly down the street.

After what Luke said earlier, it would have been easy to send Nathan a message and tell him that she couldn't make it. But she likes to believe that she's a woman of her word, and being flaky is not in her nature. It would be in poor taste to cancel at the last minute when he needs her help desperately with his assignment.

Lucas has been her best friend since they were eight and although he has been right about many things in the past, he hasn't always been right about everything.

There's no way around this other than asking Nathan upfront. It may hurt his feelings if he's not using her, but for her peace of mind, she needs to know.

It has been quite a thoughtful and illuminating walk when she finally stands on the doorstep of the Scott mansion.

Puffing out her cheeks, she pulls a chilly hand out of her pocket to press the doorbell. The soft chime is loud enough for her to hear it from where she is, and she doesn't press it again.

An icy wind blows past, making her shiver all the way to her toes, her dress whipping around her bare knees.

She swears that the weather has dropped a few hundred degrees. Or maybe she hadn't noticed after getting quite distracted following the little chat with Lucas.

When the door is opened suddenly, a gust of warm air hits her, but the cold in her body doesn't cease when she sees who is standing there.

"Mr. Scott. Um, hi."

They've never spoken but she's heard enough stories about him.

He's taller than she'd thought, and she can see where both Lucas and Nathan got their height. His hair is as dark as Nathan's, just as thick, but there are a few graying strands on his temples. His blue eyes lack any kind of warmth in them unlike Nathan's and Lucas'. He's even more imposing in person than in theory, like a predator scouting its prey before pouncing.

"Are you the tutor?" he asks, looking her up and down.

Suddenly, she feels rather small and insignificant; Dan Scott is a scary and intimidating man.

"Um, yes. Haley."

She sticks her hand out, offering it to him in greeting. Dan looks at it with something akin to disdain. He ignores it, leaving the door open and disappearing into the house.

"Nice to meet you, too," Haley mutters, shutting the door behind her.

The house is certainly warm, and her fingers begin to heat up as she's standing there in the foyer, watching Mr. Scott slip into the living room.

It's a magnificent house.

From where she is, she can see the large living room. Spotless, high ceilings, posh decoration.

A thick and probably costly rug covers the entire hardwood floor of the lounge, two long, puffy, cream leather couches with equally puffy cushions set up on opposite sides of the room. A gleaming glass table sits between them, a chandelier hanging above it.

In a corner of the room, there's a shiny grand piano, polished silver frames encasing photographs scattered over the cover.

Awkwardly, she stands there, not knowing what to do or where to go, the noise of the ongoing basketball game on the huge flat-screen television carrying around.

She hopes that Nathan heard the doorbell because it's a little eerie standing there, not knowing what to do or say.

No sooner has she completed that thought than she hears him call out her name from somewhere on the staircase.

"Haley?"

"Yeah. It's me," she calls back, relieved.

He reappears a moment later in basketball shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt, hair damp, eyes looking her over in appreciation.

"Hey."

She can't help grinning back at him as he rushes down the stairs.

"Hi."

He plants a quick kiss to her lips and without a word to his father, he leads her towards the polished, winding staircase, hand in hers.

"Is it weird that I'm a little weirded out after meeting your dad?" she whispers, her hand gripping the banister.

"Perfectly natural reaction," he grins. "How was yoga?"

She groans in answer, her hand tightening in his and making him chuckle.

"That bad?"

"I hope to recover sometime within the millennium."

At the top of the landing, he turns to the right, slipping into the first door a little down the hallway.

The carpet is a light brown and walls are painted stark white, with a few posters of famous basketball players spread around them.

Near the door is a king-size bed, a bulky dark-brown comforter messily thrown over it.

On one wall of the room is a stand with a flat-screen television and a sophisticated stereo system, beneath them cables, video controllers and a few beanbags. On another wall, there's a study desk with books and pens strewn all over it. Next to the desk is a bookcase stocked with books, magazines and DVDs; two of the lengthier shelves higher on the bookcase are completely empty.

"I like your room," Haley says, dropping her bag on the bed. "It's so you."

"You mean because of the lack of pink?" Nathan laughs, grabbing a Coke from the table.

"We can always change that. Although I do hate pink."

"You're my kind of girl."

Slipping her feet out of the boots and shrugging out of the jacket, Haley sinks onto the bed, sighing with satisfaction at the softness beneath her.

"Thanks," she says, taking the can from him.

"I should be kissing your feet for doing this for me," he says, shutting the door.

She wiggles her toes, feeling the intimacy of the moment shift from the closed door.

"My feet haven't been kissed in a while."

Nathan lets out a bark of laughter, taking the seat behind the study desk.

"I'm telling you, Hales. This stuff is giving me a headache."

Taking out her binder and pencil case from her bag, she grins up at him.

"I have a couple of past exam questions that can serve as a guideline. We'll start with that."

She pulls out a paper from the binder, holding it out to him. The smile he gives her after he scans through the paper makes her think twice about questioning his genuineness.

"Okay. I'm ready."

"'The valencies of metal X, Y and Z are 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Write the formulae of their respective hydroxides and phosphates'."

They work in comfortable silence, and halfway through the questions, Nathan seems to be really getting it.

"What's the next one?"

Haley can't concentrate any longer after the seed of doubt that Lucas planted. It resembles a freaking tree half an hour after she got to the Scotts'.

"Are you toying with me?" she asks.

"Is that—"

Swiveling in the chair, he faces her, a frown on his face. "What?"

Her gaze unwavering, she repeats, "Are you using me to get to Lucas? Am I a part of some revenge plan?"

Stunned, Nathan just gapes at her. The silence is loaded.

He moves to sit beside her, pulling the paper out of her hands.

"Using you? What gave you that idea?"

She shrugs, not turning away from him.

Cursing softly, he asks, "Did someone say something to you? Was it Tim? Lucas?"

"It doesn't matter," she says, shaking her head.

"It does to me!"

His eyes are flashing with anger. "Would it kill people to have some faith in me when it comes to a relationship?"

"Babe, your longest relationship was two weeks. They haven't seen the whipped side of you."

"Whipped? Oh, really?"

He tickles her ribs lightly, making her go into a fit of giggles.

"Nathan…"

"Although I do admit that you creep up in my thoughts a little bit."

"Just a little?"

His eyes darken with seriousness, his hand resting on her thigh. "I'm whipped, alright."

Haley winds her arms around his neck, drawing his head down to hers.

The kiss is gentle, and she's the one who puts pressure on it, raking her fingers through his thick hair. She feels the softness of the comforter around her shoulders as they relax back on the bed, lips still pressed together.

"I swear I'm not using you," Nathan says softly. "I swear it."

She couldn't take it if he were playing her.

"You swear." She brushes her lips across his chin.

"I swear."

They're kissing again, fingers and hands roaming over bare arms and digging through hair.

Shifting slightly beneath him, Haley feels his arousal. It sends a scalding sensation rocking through her. A soft, whispered moan escapes her lips and she sweeps her tongue into his mouth.

His hand slides to her waist, and then her thigh, and even though he's not touching her skin, she feels the contact heating her up further.

The same hand then slips under her dress, traveling up her thigh while his thumb draws lazy circles on her skin.

She almost purrs with pleasure and with great effort, she pries her lips from his. Dizzy, she opens her eyes, struggling to compose herself.

"Wait," she whispers.

His hand stops, pulling down the hem of her dress. When she looks up at him, his hair is tousled, his eyes darker and filled with desire that she's probably feeling too.

"Sorry."

The faint blush that spreads across his cheeks makes her long to resume what they were doing.

"I just feel weird with your dad…"

Granted, he has a way of depleting her of common sense, but despite how he was making her feel, Dan Scott is somewhere in the house.

"Damn him," he says, dropping his lips on hers.

She chuckles, angling her head to deepen the kiss, their teeth, tongues and lips doing the talking.

He's controlling himself as much as she is, his hand simply moving up and down her arm.

She hates it.

"I don't pay you to make my son that happy."

They leap apart, Nathan swearing under his breath before turning to the door.

"Dad!"

"You can either study downstairs or Ellie can leave."

His blue eyes are filled with distaste, a scornful look on his face as he scans her disheveled appearance.

"It's Haley," she says, irritated at the older man's attitude and feeling awkward at being caught.

"We're fine here," Nathan says brashly.

Resting a hand on his arm, Haley sits up slowly, eyes still on Dan.

"No, it's okay."

They wait for him to leave before sliding off the bed, Nathan helping her up and putting their things together.

"Sorry about that. He is…"

"It's okay. You have a sharpener?" Haley asks as he leaves the room, patting her pencil case. "I can't seem to find mine."

"Probably in my bedside drawer."

She sits on the edge of the bed, sliding the drawer open. Her hand pats over the haphazardly stored papers, trying to locate a sharpener.

Pulling the drawer further open, she sees the blue sharpener in the far corner. With a triumphant smirk, she reaches for it, curling it around her fist.

Noticing a box of some sort tucked into the other corner, she pauses. She stares at the box when she drags it out, the words on it written in bold white letters.

She flips it over and over like she's holding a gun.

Curiosity gets the better of her and glancing over her shoulder at the doorway, she opens the box. One is missing.

Feeling her face heat up, she throws it back where she found it, scramming out of the room and shutting the door behind her.

Leaning against the wall on the hallway, she blows out a breath, her eyes closed.

Nathan has had a…colourful history. Thanks to the party at Vegas' weeks ago, she came to know the full extent of his previous experience.

She groans to herself, holding her head in her hands.

He hasn't pressed her about taking the next step, and she's the one who is constantly pushing the boundaries, telling him it's okay.

She appreciates his concern and patience, but sometimes it drives her insane that he respects her so much.

"Did you get it?" he calls out from downstairs.

Her eyes snap open at his voice, and pushing away from the wall, she breathes out, running her fingers through her hair.

"Uh, yeah. I'll be right there."

Drawing in a deep breath, she walks down the stairs and steps into the large kitchen, finding him already sitting and reading his notes.

"Found it?" he asks, raising his head, lips curled into a smile.

His eyebrows crease as he looks her over.

"You okay?"

"Hm? Oh, God, yes," she says, a little too huskily and a little too breathlessly.

"I found it!" she adds, showing the blue sharpener.

Her limbs are quaking as she makes her way to the table and sinks into the chair beside him.

She gives him a reassuring smile, and his face evens out as he reaches for her hand.

"I'm really sorry about my dad."

With a nod, she slides her thumb along his skin. Although he has talked about his father, she hadn't expected Dan to act so coldly.

"You're way cooler than him, Nathan," she says softly.

His eyes flicker with amusement, and then he leans over to kiss her.

She wishes they were in his room, because every time they kiss, no matter how innocent, it's the start of something bigger.

It makes her want to press her body close to his stronger one, it makes her want to feel the heat of his skin against her fingers, it makes her want to hear every little thing he whispers in her ear about what she makes him feel.

"I hope I'm not wasting my money on a lost cause," Dan grunts in an arctic tone as he steps into the kitchen.

Just like that, she forgets about letting her hands dive under Nathan's shirt.

She's been raised to respect her elders, but when it comes to Dan, she would willingly throw him in front of a moving car.

The air is tense as they resume their studying, with Dan shuffling around the kitchen, noisily opening and closing cupboards.

Haley ignores the prickly sensation at the back of her neck from his presence, eventually tuning out and wholly concentrating on their schoolwork.

"So you're the girlfriend," Dan says expressionlessly from behind them.

It startles them out of their discussion, both of them twisting in their seats to look over at Dan.

He's holding a knife over chopped vegetables, his eyes boring into hers.

She nods, wondering if he imagines that it's her head on the cutting board. He definitely doesn't look like he approves of her as Nathan's girlfriend.

"Would you like to join us for dinner?"

In any other circumstance, she would be touched by the invitation, but behind Dan's words lays a false kindness.

"We're going out," Nathan answers, matching his father's cool tone.

With a flat smile directed at Haley, Dan grabs a tomato and slices it into half, the blade touching on the cutting board with a bang.

"Perhaps next time."

Haley averts her gaze from him to refocus on their work. The sooner they're done, the better; she has a loathing for Dan that is consuming and primal, hate that stems from his treatment of his children, her two favourite people in the world.

Nathan's stance speaks of annoyance and displeasure; she's certain that she's only witnessed a mild episode of the Dan Scott show, and she can't imagine how much worse it must be when Dan is reaming Nathan about basketball and training.

She also wonders just how she will broach the subject of emancipation, and what Nathan's reaction will be. Emancipation is a huge responsibility for one to undertake, and it's not something that can be renounced easily without repercussions once pursued.

Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

If he were emancipated, he would be happy. Or at least, happier. If he were denied emancipation, it would cause a rift between him and his parents, perhaps destroying every shred of the existing relationship he has with them.

But every time, she will pick wanting him to be happier than being under his parents' dominance.


	20. Chapter 20

Swinging the front door open at the third knock, Haley throws a smile over her shoulder before moving to the storage closet.

"Hey! I can't find my—"

She stops, turning around fast to face him. That wasn't there when she saw him earlier today.

"What happened to you?"

Hands in his jacket pockets after closing the door, Nathan shrugs slightly.

"Nothing."

"I suppose it magically appeared since I saw you?" she barks, slamming the closet door shut. "What the hell happened, Nathan?"

There's a raw cut on his lip, and his cheek is red and slightly swollen.

"You are not pleasant when you're pissed."

"Who is?"

Pulling him by the arm, she drags him to the downstairs bathroom, dropping the toilet lid and sitting him on it.

She forcefully opens the cabinet, taking out a wad of cotton wool and a bottle containing clear liquid.

"What is that?" he asks cautiously, pointing to the bottle.

"Rubbing alcohol."

Her eyes widen when she sees his hand, just before he draws it away.

"Were you fighting a bull?"

Taking his hand from where it is behind his back, Haley holds it tenderly, scrutinizing the red welts on the knuckles.

"What happened?" she asks softly, raising her head to look into his eyes. She fears the worst, like him getting into a physical fight with his father.

"Lucas ran into my fist."

Her head whips back sharply in shock at his admission. "What?"

He's shaking his head, his jaw ticking as he clenches and unclenches his teeth.

"I couldn't let it go, Hales. He thought that I was using you."

With a snort, he lifts his gaze to her. "He's not worth my trouble."

Not knowing what to say, she grabs the rubbing alcohol, tilting the bottle to soak the cotton wool.

It's one thing for the brothers to exchange heated words, but it's entirely another to actually fight, enough to split skin and cause wounds.

"JESUS!" he shrieks, pulling his hand away from her grasp.

"No pain, no gain," she says flatly, giving him a sharp look. She's angry with them both, their shared affinity for being volatile at the slightest provocation from the other.

"You're crazy," he mutters under his breath.

"You bet your sweet convertible I'm crazy. Come closer."

Nathan leans back on the cistern, staring at the cotton wool in her hand warily.

"No."

"Don't make me come over there."

Rolling his eyes, he bends forward, watching her hand rise slowly to his lip.

"Be careful."

"I can't believe this," she mumbles, more to herself than to him.

The Luke-Nathan rivalry has gone on for far too long, and there's not a snowball's chance in hell that Dan Scott will intervene. He probably gets a kick out of watching his sons act like cavemen around each other.

She, for one, doesn't want to be caught in that crossfire, waiting with bated breath for the day she'll be asked to choose sides and being called a traitor for whichever one she picks.

A plan starts to shape up slowly in her mind. So distracted is she with it that she presses the cotton a little too hard on his lip.

"Christ! That crap hurts, Haley!"

Focusing back on him, she grins, balling up the cotton and throwing it in the trash can.

"Why are you smiling like that?" he asks with a guarded look in his eyes.

"This mess between you and Lucas is going to be sorted out."

"What?"

At his cluelessness, she wriggles her eyebrows and plants her hands on his shoulders. Tonight is that important first step to mending a non-existent relationship.

"Oh, yeah."

Her grin grows as she pulls out her phone from her pocket. "We are going on a double date, sweetie!"

After a beat, Nathan's eyes enlarge like in realization and he stands abruptly.

"Hell, no. Please tell me that you're not about to tell me that I'm going on a date with your best friend."

Haley's nod has him groaning loudly.

"I am not going," he says touchily, reaching for the door.

She grabs his arm, holding him in place and pinning him with a hard look. She's had it up to her eyeballs with the constant tension between him and Lucas.

"Yes, you are. And I'll keep making dates until the day you both can be civil to—"

_"Hello?"_

"Peyt, get dressed. We're going out."

* * *

It's loud in the bowling alley; the sounds of spinning balls rolling down alleys, balls crashing into pins, pins falling over, and people talking and laughing excitedly resonate around the huge space.

Haley and Peyton are steering the conversation with good reason; Nathan and Luke have been ignoring each other, their communication restricted to mocking grunts when one of them doesn't make a strike.

They have been playing for close to an hour, couple against couple, and neither Nathan nor Luke seems the least close to caving in, bowling like it's a matter of life and death.

Haley is so tense as she looks at them that she's fighting a mad inclination to find a stiff drink. Neither of them is giving any of them wiggle room to ease the discomfort of the double date, both of them antagonizing her and Peyton.

"Am I supposed to say I'm sorry?" Luke says dully, pulling her thoughts back to the present.

A snarl rips out of Nathan. "Pompous asshole."

Luke's lips twist into a sarcastic smile. "Look who picked up a dictionary."

Her stomach lilts further as she observes their combative stances. They have drained her of her optimism, their resentment and stubbornness making her crosser by the second.

"Listen, you fu—"

Working on that spurt of aggravation, Haley leaps to her feet, tired of the battle.

"Enough!"

They snap their gazes towards her, their expression one of startled confusion.

Heart sinking, and provoked past the point of reason, Haley grinds out with force, "You two jerks need to sort this out, goddamnit!"

She's bristling with frustration, the air around them crackling with it.

Surprise is reflected in the similar pair of blue eyes at her sudden outburst. Their gazes lower, Nathan dragging a hand through his hair, Luke just staring at his shoes.

"You insult each other, you have fistfights, all because you're pissed off that the other exists! You're brothers and brothers should get along, not punch each other!"

They both open their mouths to protest but she shakes her head resolutely, her hand held up.

"Just figure it out," she finishes testily and wearily, "or I swear I'm going to start spilling your secrets to each other."

"You wouldn't," they protest in unison.

"Look at that. You agree on something."

They're avoiding her eyes, hiding their discomfort. As weak as her threat is, she hopes that she struck a chord somewhere.

"Anyone hungry?" she asks, giving them her most innocent expression.

Each of them reaches for their pockets hurriedly, Nathan thrusting his wallet at her half a second before Luke. She doesn't even blink should she roll her eyes at their behaviour.

"I'll come with you," Peyton offers eagerly, looking like she also needs a moment away from the tension.

"This was a bad idea," Haley tells her as soon as they're out of earshot. "They hate each other's guts."

She can feel the anger simmering through her, but she's determined to keep her cool.

"Because they don't know each other and it's derived from their hatred of the source of their genes, also known as Dan Scott," says Peyton.

"Pompous asshole," Haley mumbles, quoting Nathan.

Peyton laughs amusedly, Haley joining in and feeling relieved as some pressure rolls off her shoulder.

After a trip to the bathroom that included a long wait, they stand in line at the food bar, out of view from their dates at the farthest lane.

"We could just ditch them and let them figure this out on their own," Peyton says, craning her neck a little. "They're acting like spoilt brats."

"Maybe later. I'm starving."

"Bowling alley burgers are what you hunger for?"

Haley chuckles, slapping Nathan's wallet against her palm. "They are damn good burgers. Let's give it one more shot before we lock them up in a windowless room."

Peyton scoffs. "I'm one to talk, someone who is on bad terms with her former best friend."

They take a step forward in the line, Haley focusing her gaze on Peyton, seeing the sadness fade from her face quickly.

"_So ist das leben_," Peyton says with a flat grin.

Haley's nose crinkles as it usually does when Peyton flings around one of her German phrases.

"That's life," she explains.

"Snob," Haley throws back good-naturedly. "You could have just spoken in English."

"I have to show off, despite my abysmal grade in class so far."

Haley can't hold back her laughter. "There is no shame in tooting your own horn when you have an abysmal grade."

Peyton gives her a nudge with her hip, pushing her a step away. "Silly."

Smoothing back another bubble of laughter, Haley leans against the counter to place their order. She opens the wallet, pulling out a note from the billfold and handing it to the cashier.

"Ten minutes or it's on the house," the girl drones, holding out the receipt.

As Haley tucks in the change, a piece of foil catches her eye. With a quick glance at Peyton, she turns her body strategically and reaches for the edge of the square little package tucked away in one of the pockets.

So that's where the missing condom went to.

Her face flushes as her gaze rises to look across the bowling alley, heart fluttering, warmth spreading through her stomach.

He's the one who's been putting the brakes when things become a little too intense. It pleases her that he is prepared, but it also frightens her going all the way with him. They're having a lot of fun getting to know each other, and crossing the finishing line is something she thinks is a long way away.

"Do you know what I had to agree to just to get Lucas to come?" Peyton asks when they step away from the line.

Haley shuts the wallet, giving Peyton her attention.

"Huh? Oh, God. I really don't want to know," she mumbles, refusing to think about what goes on between Peyton and Lucas.

"Not that, you perv," Peyton says, punching her shoulder lightly. "I'm signing up for the talent show."

"The what?"

"I'll be Skills' assistant."

"What?"

Peyton rolls her eyes and says, "Earth to Haley. He's doing a magic act and he needs a quote pretty assistant unquote, not Mouth."

Haley finally comprehends what Peyton is saying, and she emits a low chuckle.

"Do you have an outfit for that? I'm not sure Skills will approve of your grunge look."

Peyton glances down at her off-the-shoulder t-shirt and faded blue jeans with holes at the knees.

"Grunge? I love this outfit."

Haley's eyebrows arch, her fingers straying to the hem of the thin t-shirt that's washed-out to grey from its original black.

"You have met Skills, right? He calls you 'Miss Legs' and he will want to pull all the stops for his performance, and that includes getting you into a skimpy outfit."

Peyton is silent for a moment, emotions of incredulity and comprehension crossing her face.

With a huff of resignation, she says, "You owe me, Hales, and I'm going to collect."

Haley shakes her head, weaving a path through the hyper crowd of bowlers to join Luke and Nathan.

As they come up to them, they see them snickering at what is probably a joke they've shared. Haley and Peyton look at each other with a combination of curiosity and puzzlement.

Haley's hand comes up around Nathan's waist, her chin resting on his arm.

"What's going on?" she asks, smiling faintly at the shift in the mood. Is it just her imagination or do they actually look relaxed?

"Just talking about some online game," Nathan says.

"How's that funny?" Peyton asks with a deep frown.

"Turns out that we've been playing against each other for a year," Luke answers with a faint chuckle, slinging his arm around her shoulders.

Haley blinks and Peyton's jaw drops. They're both silent for a full five seconds, looking back and forth between the guys like they can't possibly understand anything about what is going on.

"Are you kidding?"

"Tell me you're joking."

"Not joking," Luke says, sweeping a curly strand behind Peyton's ear.

She tips her head back, lips parted. "All this bitching has stopped because of a game? You both play basketball! On the same team, I may add! How could that not have stopped anything!?"

Lucas grins sheepishly. Haley zips her gaze to Nathan; his face is a shade darker than it was before, just like Luke's.

The stress they've all been containing could have been avoided if they'd locked them up in a windowless room much earlier like Peyton had suggested.

"Sorry," Luke says, looking embarrassed, holding up both hands.

"What else is that sorry supposed to cover? How much your game sucks?" Nathan asks, inching away from her.

Haley expects Luke's irritability to flare but unlike an hour ago, he just sniggers. Her eyes run over his face, inspecting the cut on his swollen lip and the dark bruise around his left eye.

Whoever said that men were simple had clearly not met the clashing temperaments of Lucas and Nathan Scott.

"You play like an amateur," Nathan scolds, sticking his fingers into a giant red ball.

"Amateurs are not found on level four," Luke rebuts.

"Have you seen your high score?"

"Hey, Nate. Maybe you want to consider the fade away instead of playing like you're afraid of a basketball."

"Fade away's weak."

Haley allows her grin to widen as her eyes swing back and forth between Luke and Nathan.

"My God, they're like little children," Peyton grumbles.

She has moved to stand beside Haley, and she still looks annoyed at what led to the brothers' resolution.

"It's rather unbelievable," Haley says in amazement, shaking her head.

Nathan and Luke's argument is still going, each talking smack about the other's playing skills, but without the frostiness that was a companion at the start of the evening. Perhaps they'll find another common ground to bicker about other than online basketball.

Peyton slaps her palms together. "Hey, gents! Can you stop flirting so that we can get back to the game? My arms are loose enough to make a few more strikes."

She swings her arms side to side like she's warming up. "I'm going to knock over those pins like a mad hippopotamus."

They look at her wordlessly as she bends over to touch the tips of her fingers to the tips of her bowling shoes.

Haley is convinced that Peyton is a closet bowling aficionado. She made six strikes in a row without breaking a sweat, her poses seeming a little too seasoned.

Nathan cruises back to her, ball still held in his hands. "Ready to teach her a lesson in the rematch?"

"I'm not good at this."

At one time, the ball slipped out of her hands before she'd even stepped up to the lane.

He flashes a slow smile and then kisses the corner of her mouth. "Even if we lose, you can get back at her with one of your word games."

"Now that I have your permission to be a failure…"

It's possible that Haley's game has worsened since the last time they played, only being fifteen minutes ago. Nathan is carrying their team, while Luke and Peyton are both excellent bowlers.

When Peyton bowls another strike, she does a victory dance around a scowling Nathan.

"She's good," Haley says to a cheering Lucas, looking up at the scoreboard. They're trailing by sixty points, and she's only contributed a quarter of their total score.

"She was in a league with senior citizens," Luke smiles with pride and satisfaction.

"What?" Haley nearly screeches in disbelief.

He breaks out into a wide grin. "And she does it left-handed yet she's a righty."

She feels her mouth hang open as she stares at Peyton. When she asked Peyton if she knew how to bowl, all she got in response was a shrug, a shrug that she can now translate to 'I'm a pro'.

"Did you say senior citizens?"

"Her great aunt. She moved to Virginia about a year ago. Think our food is ready? I'm really hungry."

They rise from their seats, heading for the food bar.

"I can't believe that all it took for you two to get along was a stupid online game," Haley says, still astonished at how they could mend fences.

A slight frown appears on Luke's brow and he urges her forward. "You gave us the riot act."

Chuckling softly, Haley gives him a gentle pat on his cheek as she walks past him. "I'm sorry, buddy, but this was inevitable and long overdue. Something needed to be done after that fight. What were you thinking?"

"He started it," Lucas protests.

"It doesn't matter. Have you seen the nasty bruises on your faces?"

Surprisingly, her anger has subsided, especially after seeing them get along.

"He's your younger brother, Luke. You should be looking out for him, not punching his lights out."

"Only by a hundred days," he mumbles.

They zigzag through the crowd, coming to a stop at the section of the food bar she was at earlier. They find their order ready, each of them grabbing a tray with nachos, burgers and sodas.

"Are you having fun, though?" she asks over her shoulder, breaking the silence they had lapsed into.

"It's my chance to get back at you for all your wins in mini-golf," he replies with a smirk.

"I'll let you have this just this once."

When they're close to their lane, she stops, shifting her tray closer to her body and gripping it in one hand. She places her freehand on his arm to stop him as well.

"Hey."

Lucas regards her patiently with a faint frown.

She needs him to know this instead of having him walk around thinking that she's in a sham relationship with someone who doesn't give two cents about her.

"He likes me, Luke."

It hurt her when he said that Nathan wasn't being sincere about his intentions to date her. It's no secret that they're different and from separate sides of the social scale, and for her best friend to think that it was impossible for their relationship to be something genuine had her bristling.

"He's not using me to hurt you or get to you. He likes me."

A muscle jerks along his jaw. "He told you that? Do you believe him?"

"Yes and yes. And if he were, he knows that you would crush him. Well, he'd get in a few good punches, too."

He gives her a somber smile and a stiff nod.

"The last seventeen years can't be wiped out because of one night, but I have to say that I'm impressed by how he treats you."

He mumbles the last part, looking away like it pains him to say it.

Haley relaxes, giving him a radiant smile. Even when she refuses to let his opinion matter to her, it still does. And if tonight is an indication of things being all right, then they will be all right. Slowly but surely.

"He's pretty great," she adds.

"You're not going to start quoting his merits, are you?"

"Not when you ask me not to so nicely."

They set the trays down on the small table near their lane, Luke and Peyton rushing for the sinks against the wall at the end of the food bar to wash their hands.

"Opposites may attract but in their case, they are very alike," she tells Nathan while looking at the retreating forms of the blonde couple.

"Where do we fall?" he asks, his arm snaking around her waist.

"It is said that opposites attract more than repel," she grins, pecking his lips.

"I thought that only applied to magnets."

"Ha, ha."

Eventually, they all settle around the table, Peyton and Nathan on one side, Luke and Haley on the other.

"Was your bowling ability meant to be a secret?" Haley asks Peyton, popping the top of her soda can.

"Keep your enemies closer," Peyton says with a cheeky grin hidden behind the burger poised on her lips.

"That doesn't make sense."

"Never underestimate the element of surprise?"

"Like in karate?"

"Like in karate."

Over chowing down on their food, they talk pleasantly like people who have never shared any kind of strife.

The tension is under the surface, but it's not an outright antagonism like it was earlier. Nathan and Lucas, although wary of each other, are courteous enough to keep her content.

"You took the shortcut through the cemetery?" Nathan asks her between laughs.

"She thought the zombies would get us," Luke replies.

Haley points a finger at him. "How could I not when I was waiting for you someplace where the dead were the majority?"

The three laugh, Nathan tugging at her hand where they're linked over the table. The allusive gleam in his eyes makes her want to burst out laughing.

"What the…"Peyton suddenly jumps a little in her seat.

Her head ducks under the table before she sits up and fixes her eyes at a shame-faced Haley.

"Are you two playing footsie?"

Lucas leans back in his chair to look under the table. "What?"

With a nervous laugh, Haley slips her foot back into her shoe, shrugging slightly.

"Guilty."

* * *

"You're distracting me," Haley says, focusing straight ahead.

She's the one behind the wheel, driving towards her house from the bowling alley. The knots in her stomach have been multiplying with every mile since she started up the car. She's having one of the lessons that Nathan has been insisting on lately, and tonight, it was graduating from driving on quiet roads to driving in the dark.

He's in the passenger seat, his finger twirling around a lock of her hair over and over.

"You like it."

She chuckles, looking both ways before turning onto her street.

"You're getting really good at this, baby," he says softly, sweeping her hair off her shoulder and resting his hand on her thigh.

"It's taken us twice as long to get to my house."

The coordination required to drive is something to get used to. She has to watch the road, keep her hands on the wheel, look out for traffic lights and cars behind her, and listen for any honks directed at her. It's a challenge to her multitasking skills.

"I can't even talk and drive at the same time."

"So if someone called you right now, would you pull over to talk to them or keep driving?"

"Definitely pull over. Oh, thank God we're here."

Nathan chuckles and gives her thigh a gentle squeeze. She slows the car to a stop in front of her house, setting the brakes and shutting off the engine.

Releasing her tense hands from the wheel, she unbuckles her seatbelt.

"Thank you for tonight."

She leans her temple on the headrest to look at him, breathing a sigh of contentment. Regardless of how the night began, it ended on a peaceful note.

"It really meant a lot to me."

Nathan grins, amusement rolling across his face. "After your speech, we had to make it work."

With a laugh, she leans forward and kisses him, very lightly because of his busted lip, before reaching for the door handle.

"What? That's it?" he calls out, the surprise in his tone having her hide her smile.

As she comes around the front of the car, he slides out of the car. He shuts the door and leans on it like he's waiting for her to reach him.

"You have a cut right here, in case you forgot," she says as reasonably as she can, her thumb laying the lightest pressure on the small cut.

"This is nothing, Hales. I can't sleep tonight after that measly kiss."

She half-laughs half-shrieks when he pulls her close. His hand dips under her shirt, fingers moving along the small of her back.

"Why are you so cold?" she almost screams.

With alarm, Nathan drops his hands like he's branded her skin with an iron rod.

Haley bursts out into laughter, resting her hands on his waist. "That's for calling my kiss measly."

Nathan growls playfully, sliding his hand back under her shirt.

"Come here," he says gruffly.

Haley wraps her arms around his neck, arching her back to settle her mouth over his. They kiss slowly and tenderly, tongues gently meeting and flicking.

"Best kiss in the world," Nathan whispers when they pull apart, placing a breathy kiss on her collarbone.

Her breath catches at the tone in his voice. It's impossible for her to remember whether anyone has ever made her feel like such a crushed-out girl. No question about it, Nathan has her feeling so bizarrely that she questions her sanity and levelheadedness.

"Hales."

Taken out of her distant thoughts, she opens her eyes and focuses on him. He's leaning back, looking at her with a curious smile.

"Hm?"

"You okay?"

With a muted lustful sigh, she nods. "Mmmh. Did you say something?"

He nods, arms wrapped around her waist. "I was asking if you want to meet at the River Court tomorrow after your—"

"The River Court?"

"Lucas invited me."

She stares at him for a moment before squealing excitedly, like he's just declared he won a roundtrip for two to Paris.

"Oh my God!"

"Don't start planning more double dates," he teases.

Patting his arm lightly, her delight bleeds through an uncontrollable, broad grin.

"Maybe later. When did this happen?"

"Shoe rental. I thought I was stubborn but he puts me to shame," he says, stroking her cheek.

Standing on tiptoe, she drops quick kisses on his lips. It was becoming worrisome that the tension between the guys was brewing to a crescendo where they would annihilate each other.

"This is great! This is so great! God, I'm this close to bursting!"

Nathan chuckles, holding her still while her feet hop on the spot.

"Wonder if my dad will react the same way when he hears that I'm buddies with Lucas."

That ceases her celebration, her head snapping back, her fingers curling around his arms. She hadn't thought that a friendship between Lucas and Nathan would have repercussions for Nathan.

"Would he take it out on you?"

There is no mistaking the intense thoughtfulness in his eyes that has panic brewing within her. Would Dan Scott hate it so much that Nathan and Luke got along that he would retaliate?

Following that brief hesitation, Nathan's eyes clear and he gives a casual shrug.

Soothing empathy claws at her chest.

"Have you ever heard of emancipation?" she blurts, stepping back to look at him properly.

He frowns, eyebrows pinched. "In history."

"Not that one. It's a legal way that a minor can be declared an adult when they attest to not having an ideal living situation with their parents."

Nathan shifts back a step and shoots her an inquisitive look.

"You'll need to file a petition and have a bunch of other stuff that prove that you should be emancipated and that you can live alone, but I really think that you are eligible," she explains quickly, her fingers knotted together.

"What do you think?"

A moment passes in which he silently studies her, that deep frown knitting further on his brow. His quietness is making her antsy.

"How long have you been sitting on this?"

Recovering her composure, she says, "Not long. A few days."

Saying nothing, he stares at her. She stares at him right back, wondering what he's thinking. The gentleness has fled from his face, and she can't tell whether he's about to be annoyed or unflustered.

"Is that a possibility you would consider?"

"You mean become an adult while I'm still in high school?"

The words are biting, his previous calm demeanor already faded away.

Annoyed it is.

"That's how it works," she returns with a small smile.

Nathan takes a step back, giving her a narrow-eyed stare like in warning.

"I think it's a great option for you, Nathan. You could get a job, find an apartment, and be out of that house."

"While still going to school being a mediocre student and playing perfect games so that I can get a scholarship to college."

At his snippiness, she holds back the retort on her tongue that is primed and ready to go.

"Is it the pressure that—"

"Just drop it, Haley," he says quickly, acidly, his face stark.

Her eyes narrow at the intensity of his reaction. Here she thought he would at least be genial about it, but his hostility is beginning to annoy her. She's the bad guy for wanting to help.

Biting back angry words, she holds her palms up. "I'm just trying to help."

"Well, it's none of your business," he snaps.

"Then what is my business?" she returns, incensed by his attitude. "I'm your girlfriend, Nathan, and that makes you my business. We talk a lot about how much you hate your father, and I don't know, I thought you wished you could get away from him. Am I supposed to ignore what you tell me?"

She knows him well enough to know that he's not lashing out because he wants to hurt her; it's just a strange, angry rejection of something that could potentially help him.

Undeterred, she says coolly with a controlled anger, "Don't pretend that living with him doesn't bother you."

"Of course it does, but it doesn't mean that I want to become an adult!"

"He's a loose cannon!" her voice risen to nearly a yell like his. "He plays mind games with you and he'll keep at it until he drives you nuts! Is that what you want!?"

They're both stubbornly silent, like they're bracing for a fight.

She keeps her tone calm as she says, "I'm not forcing you to get emancipated. I just think that you deserve better. And between him and your mom—"

"Don't look at me like that," he says harshly.

Haley makes no immediate reply, her eyes staring stolidly at a button of his shirt.

"I didn't…" he starts in an apologetic tone.

She lifts her eyes to his face, catching the anger ebbing away.

He lets out an aggrieved moan, leaning his back against the car.

"I do hate him, but as much as I say that I do, the thought of cutting loose…"

He crosses his arms over his chest, eyes fixated ahead. "How ungrateful does that make me?"

She closes the distance between them to tug at his hand. "Don't you think that your father takes advantage of you? He probably knows that you wouldn't leave, and he preys on that. He's banking on making you miserable all in the name of getting you to play pro."

"He preys on my weaknesses. It's all weakness to him, Hales, and to be honest, I…I am weak. As crazy as it sounds, he makes my game better. When he's glaring at me from the bleachers or yelling at me at the end of the night for not making enough points, it makes me better the next time."

With a muted oath directed at Dan, Haley gently frames Nathan's face in her hands. Her eyes run over his features, the distress in his eyes softening her further and making her gulp at the lump in her throat.

"Don't…don't you think being away from him would make things better for you?" she asks huskily, her fingers burrowing into his hair.

"Less stress to deal with, you can focus on your grades and your game, and you'll be in charge of yourself without having to worry about him coming home and disrespecting you."

"It sounds so easy when you say it," he sighs, resting his forehead lightly to hers.

At that point, she's no longer sure that she's acquainted him with a get out of jail free card or created a bigger mess.

He tilts his head back and lets out a fake, strained chuckle.

"I think I can handle it, though. I've been doing it for years and two more won't kill me."

She forces herself to smile and meet his gaze, despite the deep compassion trickling through her in a slow stream. The sadness in his blue eyes crashes into her, and she can feel the sudden, hot tears stinging her eyelids.

God, she hopes that living with his father won't kill him. Or hurt him in any way.

She heaves a heavy, quavering sigh, linking her arms around his waist and cuddling against his chest.

"I'm sorry I yelled," he whispers in a feather-soft voice, his cheek on the top of her head.

She tightens her arms around him in answer before leaning back and tilting her head to look up into his eyes. The heated look in them sends the warm-and-fuzzies racing down her spine.

"I'm not asking you to make a life-altering decision, babe. I was just putting emancipation out there, and should a day come when you need an option, you'll know that there is a way out."

Placing a finger under her chin, Nathan lowers his head and brushes a soft, fleeting kiss over her lips.

Her fingers gripping the front of his shirt, she rises on her toes and presses a lingering kiss on his mouth.

"I'll always be here for you."

Easing away from his embrace, she turns to go, but he grabs her hand, hauling her against his chest.

He gazes down at her, his eyes studying and searching for something in hers.

"Nathan?"

Slowly, he reaches up and cradles her face in his hands.

"Thank you," he says softly.

He kisses the corner of her mouth before his lips slide over hers, her eyes fluttering shut as she falls into the kiss.

His tongue traces the seam of her lips in urging, and the moment she parts them, he slides it into her mouth. They kiss enthusiastically, the heat of his palms on her face complimenting the warmth in her mouth as the kiss deepens, and she grabs at his forearms to hold herself steady.

When he lifts his mouth from hers, she opens her dazed eyes to meet his glazed blue ones.

"Best kiss in the world," she exhales as they draw in great gulps of air.

With a throaty chuckle, Nathan slides his hand along her jaw to cup her cheek and kiss her briefly.

"Goodnight," she says, pulling away from him, her head filled with a distracted languor.

She's about to open the door when she pauses, turning back to look at him. He's leaning against the door, legs crossed at the ankles, a lazy smile on his face.

It dawns on her that they got so sidetracked that she forgot about mentioning the condom.

She smiles slowly, wiggling her fingers in a wave and throwing him a wink before slipping into the house.

Next time, she'll bring it up.


	21. Chapter 21

**No Naley!  
Just kidding :)  
Thanks so much for your continued support!  
**

* * *

"This is a huge waste of time," the guy behind her grumbles loudly.

"Lighten up, Mr. Jameson," Mr. Michaels returns, his wisecrack tone causing chuckles around the room.

"Think of it as an experiment after our discussion about self-image. I have taken the liberty of writing your names, so come on up. Guys, pick a paper from the white container and girls, pick one from the green. No swapping."

"What's the point?" Russ Weyland asks.

"The point is that we are going to find out what your peers think about you. Just write one word beneath the name you have. Be decent, alright? Let's get started!"

He drops the containers on his desk, ushering the students to stand up.

"And kids…" Mr. Michaels looks around the room like in caution. "Refrain from saying things like 'hot'."

The class laughs, and they all push away from their desks to pick a paper from the respective containers.

Murmurs, soft laughs and knowing glances travel around as they scribble into their papers.

Haley's pen lingers over the name written on her paper. Abigail Brown.

They are acquainted with each other. Abby worked at the Tutor Centre for a while before quitting due to her commitments on the school band, she's diabetic, she has a boisterous laugh and she plays the cello impressively.

'Nice' would be too generic a word to describe her, and reflecting on the conversations she's had with Abby in the past, Haley settles for 'confident'.

In five minutes, Mr. Michaels has walked around the room collecting the completed assignment.

Perched on the edge of the table, he rolls up the sleeves of his shirt. "So who is our first participant in this experiment?"

He dips his hand into the white container. "Ladies first…and we have…Glenda Farrell…Goth."

The red-haired Glenda in the first row across the room rolls her eyes at no one, sliding further in her seat, her hair falling over the side of her face.

Regardless of the teacher's directions, 'hot' and 'fine' have been used in plenty as he reads from one piece of paper after another. Others are described as 'shy', 'loud', 'short-tempered' and 'nerdy', but most of them rate each other on a physical scale.

"I really do hope that I'm not about to read a descriptive word associated with physical appearance," Mr. Michaels says, plucking out a paper from the container with girls' names.

"Can you blame us, Mr. M? We see things at face value," Russ says with some cheekiness, his words earning approving chuckles across the room.

"Be careful about being shallow, Mr. Weyland," the teacher throws back with gentle warning, like an old man would at a youngster who has no knowledge about life.

"Haley James."

Haley's stomach clenches, anxiety beginning to heave within her.

"Social climber."

A chorus of "oohs" and "ouches" rip through the room. She expected some vicious things, but that never even came to mind. Other than Abby, there's no one in the class she speaks to or has close association with.

She keeps her face evened out, not moving a muscle as she looks up at the teacher. The status of her reputation doesn't give her ulcers, but being thought of as someone who is out for social prominence has rattled her cage.

"Whoever wrote this needs to revise the basics of English because 'social climber' makes two words. Therefore, Miss James is viewed as social by all of you."

She smiles along with everyone, but without any kind of humour, her brain wheeling as she shortlists who would think of her as a social climber.

There's only one person who comes to mind.

When the teacher moves on to the next name, she glances around the room, searching for the one she thinks is responsible.

Her eyes find Tim, focusing on the devious half-smirk on his lips as he glowers at her.

The only time she's encountered him since the party at Vegas' has been in class, and they never talk or acknowledge each other. Nathan has taken to sitting at her table in the cafeteria, despite the disregard that's a constant companion between him and Lucas. Could Tim be even angrier about that? His friend shunning their regular table to sit with her, his girlfriend?

The bell rings while she's still in thought but she doesn't move from her seat. Students pass her as they aim for the door, and his face is not amongst theirs.

He's usually one of the first out of the classroom, but it's as if he is waiting for her.

The teacher eventually leaves, and she hears the grating of a desk's legs on the floor in the corner of the room.

Her palms flat on the desk, she waits for him to get to her.

"I get it. You don't like me," she says through gritted teeth, trying to keep her voice low and even. "You don't have to be so nasty about it."

Tim stops, turning around to glare down at her. "Nasty is all I know, you drip."

Bearing down the insult, Haley stands, wanting to level the playing field; he's looking down his nose at her. Literally.

"Is it just me you have a problem with or all of Nathan's girlfriends?"

The sinister way he's looking at her intensifies. "Girlfriend? Don't get too comfortable."

Haley's anger flares. Who does he think he is to be judge and jury on her relationship with Nathan?

"What's your problem? You want Nathan to yourself? You want to date him, is that it?"

His eyes are flashing as he takes a step towards her.

"Let me guess," she starts sarcastically, "You heard that we went bowling and you were not invited, so you've been pouting about it. Have you been going crazy wondering if he asked me to marry him?"

"Say one more word and I will break your face," he snarls in fury.

His voice is eerie, sending a jolt of fear through her. In that moment, she knows that Tim would actually do it; he would hit her.

"I don't know what he sees in you, I don't know what the hell it is you've done to him that he's acting like such a lovesick puppy, but he'll drop you eventually. You're not good enough for him."

She backs up, tilting her head to the side. The thought of Tim being in love with Nathan is shaping up in her mind. Is she crazy to even consider it?

"As opposed to whom? You?"

Tim lets out a short, dry laugh that is more ominous than comical. "I'm as straight as an arrow, but I hate it when nobodies like you latch onto a life you have no right to have."

Haley wants to laugh in his face, unending laughs at the insinuation that all Nathan is to her is a ticket to popularity.

"So I'm not popular enough to be worthy of his time? Pretty enough?"

"All of the above."

The corner of her lips rise in a small smile of challenge. As hard as Tim tries, she got the guy and she's not letting him go any time soon.

"You think this social experiment will make me break up with him? Not gonna happen, Tim. You can call me a social climber, a drip or whatever you've been drumming up to throw at me, but I'm not going anywhere."

Tim looks about ready to whack her. They hold gazes for a minute before he smirks scornfully.

Wordlessly, he shows her his back and leaves the room.

Letting out a ragged breath, Haley slumps back down in her seat. Her heart is racing wildly, eyes already bugged out as they fall to her still-open books.

There's a deafening silence as muddled thoughts run about in her mind. She never saw it coming, so much hostility with the threat of physical violence just because she's dating someone.

She nearly falls off her chair when she hears her name being called.

Lucas is rushing towards her desk, waving the clump of papers in his hand.

"Hey. Sorry I ran late. I got you the notes," he says, taking the desk beside hers.

Controlling the trembling of her hand, Haley pretends to read through the pages, when in actuality her nerves are quaking from head to toe.

The touch on her arm shoots through her like a dart, and she jerks her focus back to Luke. He's frowning, looking worried.

"You okay?"

Pasting on a smile, Haley turns away from him to the same spot on the page she was pretending to read.

"Yeah. Thanks for this. Lunch?"

In the noisy cafeteria, they find Peyton already at their usual table, a small bag of peanuts on top of her textbooks.

Luke dumps his things on a chair and kisses her. Declining when he asks if she wants anything from the lunch line, Haley sits across from Peyton, digging into her bag for her packed lunch.

She's not even hungry; that brief conversation she had with Tim has ruined her appetite.

Her eyes coast around the cafeteria to the window tables. Tim is perched on top of his table, laughing loudly over something Vegas is saying.

She hates him. She hates him for being so diabolical and terrible.

Tearing her gaze away from the brown-haired jock who has managed to give her a stress knot in the pit of her stomach, Haley turns to Peyton. She's muttering in faulty German under her breath, her brow wrinkling further with every word.

"I'm assuming the cramming is not going well," Haley says, shredding off a piece of bread.

"I truly despise it that we're required to take a foreign language," she grumbles without looking up.

"You may end up in Germany someday."

"_Heute ist kein guter Tag_."

Peyton sighs, snapping her book closed and dropping it on the table. "Today is not a good day, Fräulein."

Her eyes dart upwards as though she's mentally reciting what she's said.

"My brain is so knotted that I don't even know what the hell it is I'm saying. Where's Nate?"

"Make-up literature exam. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah." Peyton pours out peanuts onto her palm and gives them a jiggle before popping them into her mouth.

"Do you get along with Luke's friends?"

Peyton's momentarily silent before she nods. "I've met the guys who play at the River Court with him and they were nice, but that's about it with our interaction. You're the friend he hangs out with the most and I think we get along."

She tilts her head, eyes narrowing slightly like she's sizing her up. "Why? Are Nate's friends being more jerky than usual to you?"

"We have nothing in common," Haley says, avoiding answering the question.

Peyton turns in her seat to look over her shoulder at the jocks' table. "They're a tight group."

"More like a clique that doesn't take kindly to outsiders." Haley's pissy mood emanates in her tone.

"Are you talking about something specific?" Peyton asks tentatively. "Is someone messing with you?"

"Who is messing with you?" Luke pipes up, a full tray in his hands with a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, a dinner roll, salad and a bottle of Snapple.

Haley glances briefly at Peyton before raising her eyes to Lucas.

"I didn't say that," she says, layering composure in her voice at her malleable truth. Technically, she hasn't said anything about anyone messing with her.

She catches Peyton's suspicious gaze, and a load of guilt piles on her shoulders at her evasiveness. She has convinced herself that Tim will not do anything to her.

Over lunch, Luke quizzes Peyton for her test and Haley picks at her food, managing to swallow down a few bites. Nathan doesn't show up before the hour is over, and she slips a note into his locker, telling him that she'll pass by the gym before leaving for her shift at the café.

The bathroom is emptying out when she rushes in after the first bell rings. She's reaching for the latch on the door after flushing the loo when she hears the bathroom door open.

"…that tutor girl person. Hazel or something."

Pausing, Haley steps away from the door slightly, listening.

"He could date any girl he wanted, but he picked her. There's something wrong with that boy."

The voice is familiar, but she can't determine where she's heard it before. One of them laughs and the sound of zippers sliding open echo around the bathroom.

"Maybe he made a bet or something. You know, for sex."

"Please. She looks like a shrew. He'll wait forever."

They start giggling, shrilly giggles that make her shiver and ball her fists. A shrew? She dresses like a normal teenage girl. Just how high has the bar been raised on 'normal'?

"Weren't you best friends with Peyton?"

Brooke. One of the girls is Brooke Davis.

"Yeah, but whatever. I don't need that backstabbing bitch around me."

Brooke laughs dryly. "Looks like she got herself a replacement friend."

"Who looks like a shrew."

The girls start laughing jarringly again, the unfamiliar voice saying something about the colour of lip-gloss.

It's becoming an awkward situation, embarrassment and anger bubbling within Haley.

A replacement friend? How pathetic does that make her seem? And was Peyton supposed to have lived the rest of her life in misery following her fallout with her best friend?

Bracing herself, Haley slides the lock and steps out of the stall, the door creaking open.

Her eyes lock on the mirror that stretches across the entire wall.

The mirror reflects two faces that are staring at her; Brooke pauses with application of her lip-gloss, and without even batting an eyelash, she looks away. Brooke's friend's eyes are wide, like she's worried she conjured Haley up just from them talking about her.

Head held high, she makes her way to the sinks, soaping up and washing her hands in that uncomfortable silence.

Her eyes flash to Brooke's through the mirror as she crunches the tissue over her wet hands.

"I should add 'shrew' to the list of insults I keep being thrown at," she says with a strange reasonability and calmness.

Her vulnerability when it comes to dating Nathan knows no bounds, and every day is a learning curve about having a thick skin, especially in school.

Brooke barely glances at her as she inspects her lips. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Something about Brooke's callous attitude tells Haley that this is not a new dance for her.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not the victim you claim to be after what happened between you and Peyton?"

Brooke's hazel eyes are fiery when they look into Haley's, anger crossing her face.

"What the hell would you know about it?"

Haley shrugs casually. "Enough. And I think you knew that you had no chance with Caleb, but you ended up hating Peyton because he liked her more than he liked you."

Brooke strikes her as the kind of person who would be greatly annoyed when a guy didn't return her affections. She takes much effort with her appearance, her designer clothes and shoes, her impeccable makeup, and attention is an expected reward for being at her best. Whether it's a gushing, breathy word from a friend about her newest jeans or an appreciative look from a guy, recognition is expected in Brooke Davis' world.

"Shut the hell up, nobody," Brooke shoots angrily.

Suppressing a retort, Haley shrugs again unapologetically and throws away the tissue in the bin.

She breezes past them and walks out of the bathroom, feeling a little better at somewhat having had the final word.

Never will she attempt to make friends with Nathan's friends. Obviously, they want nothing to do with her, and unless Nathan sets up a bowling night for all of them, she won't bother trying to be nice.

They can all go to hell.

* * *

"You're working me too hard," Nathan whines, falling back on the couch.

From the floor, Haley lightly slaps at his leg without looking up.

"Are you complaining about your improved grades?"

Unable to make time for their session this morning, they postponed it, and they've been studying at the Scotts' beach house.

It's much different when it's not littered with partying students and plastic cups, very roomy and with amazing views.

At Nathan's lengthy silence, Haley pauses from her work to turn her head to him.

His eyes are closed, hand over his stomach, appearing to be asleep. Everything about him is relaxed.

Thick, dark lashes lay against smooth cheeks, his chest rising rhythmically with each breath he takes in and releases.

"Nathan?"

He fidgets slightly, mumbling in answer like he can hear her through his passed out state. He looks so peaceful that she hates to disturb him.

"Nathan!"

He jerks at her hand on his thigh, eyelashes fluttering. He lazily opens his eyes and squints at her, and then blinks and raises himself upright.

Smiling apologetically, he scrubs a palm over his face.

"I wouldn't be like this if someone hadn't kept me up until midnight on the phone."

Haley rolls her eyes playfully. "You called me, remember?"

"Nope. I don't think so."

Curling her hand into a fist over his knee, she props her chin on it to look up at him. She studies him, his brows pulling together after a moment at her unwavering gaze.

"What?"

He called her after a particularly intense argument with his father, profanities spilling out of him for a while before she could understand what it is he was saying.

"About last night…"

Nathan offers her a faint smile, his eyes, however, lacking warmth.

"He just wanted to pick a fight, and as usual, my flaws were the target."

"Is that why we came here? Are you avoiding him?"

"Space is more like it."

He snorts, pushing the books on his lap to the cushion. There are those times the fatigue in him extends right to the core of him, and today is one of those days.

Haley uncurls her fist, resting her palm on his knee and giving it a light, comforting pat.

"Want to hear a secret?"

At her nod, he turns towards the French doors, face looking haggard.

"I'm afraid I may never break free from him."

She can hear the defeat in the heat of his admission.

"But then I think of graduating and going away to college, and it gives me hope."

With a bitter laugh, he kneads at the back of his neck. "Two more years. Two years and I can be free of him."

This is the Nathan she sees, the one who sheds his armour and doesn't put up a happy-go-lucky front like he does for everyone else, the one who tells her his secrets and shows her his vulnerabilities, the one who makes her feel brave.

"You haven't mentioned emancipation since we talked about it," she says softly.

It was only a day ago, and even in the way he speaks with despair, it's like she hardly mentioned it and it's nowhere in his trajectory.

He sighs, resting back on the couch and looking up at the ceiling.

"I don't want to do anything rash right now. I'm used to what he does."

The protests are burning her throat, protests about him self-sabotaging by letting Dan have so much power over him.

"You know what I think you should do," she states with as much casualness as she can draw together.

His gaze slides to hers, a pleading look on his face.

"Can we not fight about this again, Hales?" he asks softly, leaning forward just a little.

She says nothing, her clasp tight around the pen as she represses the urge to say something about him making excuses for his father's behaviour.

"No fighting," she replies mechanically.

She leans back slightly, picking up the spiral notebook over the math textbook and extending it to him.

"If you get this last one right, we can make—"

"Algebraic equations, right?" he says with a hint of eagerness, hurriedly reaching for his discarded pencil.

"You're that anxious to cover sines and cosines?"

"What? You said that we'll have time to make out when I finish this."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"You assumed I was going to say that we'll make out."

His mouth curves up into a crooked grin. "How could I not? You were giving me a condition on getting the right answer. I'm a teenager, a raging beast of hormones, and you can't blame me for thinking that."

She smiles, picking up her soda and downing a sip. "A beast? Should I be running into the night?"

Nathan gets off the couch to take a seat beside her. "Your fear of me means the world to me."

Less than half an hour later, they've both wrapped up their work. After a few kisses, Haley suggests a walk on the beach, Nathan getting up from the floor to get them a snack.

He returns carrying two small cups of frozen yoghurt and two plastic, disposable spoons. She almost shrieks with glee when she reads the label on the one he hands her.

"Butterscotch and toffee? I love this one!"

"I know," he says with a beguiling smile. "Would you believe me if I said that I bought it with you in mind?"

The boyishness of his grin is so adorable that she fists a hand in the front of his shirt, pulls him down and kisses him full on the lips. The taste of peach in his mouth has her pulling her body closer against his to sweeten the kiss.

Head slanted the other way, she teases her tongue across his lips. When his lips part, she sneaks her tongue into his mouth to play with his. With a murmur of masculine hunger, Nathan wraps his free arm across the small of her back to pull her closer still.

She can feel that part of him pressing against her stomach, and a tide of satisfaction washes through her at being responsible for it.

The kiss seems to have caught him by surprise because when they break apart, there's a dazed look on his face. She's certain that she resembles a deer caught in headlights.

"Walk?" he says hoarsely between deep breaths.

Her spinning mind vaguely registers his question. She gives him a tiny nod, releasing her hand from his shirt and stretching her crooked fingers. She's frightened for a moment that she's beginning to enjoy this kind of sexual teasing too much.

In a dazed fashion, she follows him towards the French doors, her eyes running over his frame. He stands at six feet two, the dark blue jeans fitting him nicely, the black shirt snug around his broad shoulders. She enjoys the fact that he is so much taller than her, so much bigger and well-built that it makes her feel inordinately feminine.

They trot down the back steps and onto the beach. The beach is deserted at this time of night, a crescent moon hanging in the sky.

Haley falls in step with him, the heady mixed scent of his musky cologne and his own all-male scent tickling her nose. Nathan smiles broadly and she flashes him an even fuller one as she pries open the lid of her yoghurt.

Sticking her spoon into the melting, creamy treat, she scoops out a portion and puts it in her mouth.

"This is so good," she groans at the heavenly mixture, rolling it around in her mouth. "Wanna try?"

Nathan chuckles, dipping out half a spoonful as she holds her cup out.

"'s good."

"Are you going to let me taste yours?" she asks.

He shakes his head, turning to face her and beginning to walk backwards. She catches his smirk, and spurting into action, she leaps towards him.

Nathan laughs, jogging with long strides as she tries to catch up with him. When he stops suddenly, she lands with a smack against him. He hooks an arm around her waist and twirls her around.

"Greedy little thing," she says in a teasing voice before leaning up on tiptoe to kiss him.

They stroll along the shore, talking casually while eating their frozen yoghurt, stopping on a dry mound of sand a foot away from a large chunk of driftwood.

Nathan plops down on the sand, discarding his frozen yoghurt cup and bracing elbows on his knees. Haley eases herself beside him, stacking her cup on top of his and looking out into the endless expanse of water.

Lights from several boats sparkle in the distance, soft splashes of the moving tide rippling as waves wash up and recede against the shore.

She kicks off her sandals and wriggles her toes into the sand. It's soaked and cold, and she shivers, but she doesn't mind because it still feels good.

"It's nice out here," she says softly.

She's always liked staring at the ocean, especially in the evenings. The sense of peace that washes over her as she catches the sunset or moonlight glinting on the water is breathtaking.

"Yeah."

For a few minutes, they stare out over the horizon, at the stars floating in the patch of dark sky.

Nathan seems to hesitate for a second before he asks, "What's up with you today?"

"What do you mean?" she stonewalls, tilting back her head to steal a glance at his profile.

She knows what he means, but she poses the question as she weighs her response. She's been more than distracted today since social studies class.

He turns to look at her, concern shading his features. "You've been quiet. Everything okay?"

She could just tell him about her conversation with Tim earlier in the day, but at the moment, it doesn't really matter. She's stomped down on the idea of being someone who whines about her boyfriend's friends not treating her kindly.

She gives her head a little shake before looking up at him with an enforced smile, saying softly, "I've just been thinking."

"About what?" he presses.

"About…" she starts haltingly, fixing her eyes on the sky. Heat is flaring up on her skin, but she doesn't think that she's blushing too badly.

"I found the…condom in your wallet," she says quickly.

On second thought, she's running a fever.

She inhales deeply and meets his gaze. The mischievous smile playing across his lips sends the blush flooding her fiercely.

"Have you thought about us…you know."

That smile arches further into a teasing one. "'You know'?"

Haley blushes hotly, nudging him with an elbow.

"Oh, you mean _sex_," he whispers conspiratorially.

As she rolls her eyes, a nervous chuckle escapes her. The embarrassment that follows scorches her body; she badly needs to slap herself. They've had fascinating, exciting and near-intoxicating make-out sessions, and talking about sex shouldn't have her acting like a sixth grader.

Bravely, she raises her head to look directly at him. "Yes."

His eyes blaze in response, flicking to her lips. Her mouth goes dry, that warmth seeping through kick-starting a pulse in her gut at the riveting gaze that's pinned her in place.

The moment stretches on, and in it there's testimony that they have something in common; he's not the only one who is a raging beast of hormones.

Giving up the inner struggle of not moving an inch, Haley swallows hard. His eyes instantly flash up to her face, the blistering intensity in them sending her heart pitter-pattering in excitement.

She's much aware of the heat flowing between them, and as much as she _wants_ them to be together in a sexual sense, she _needs_ to be sure that it's not only going to be a physical release. She wants _and_ needs a hell of a lot more than that.

Nathan lifts his hand to her face, his thumb smoothing across her bottom lip.

"I'm in awe of you," he mutters huskily, his voice deepened and oozing with fascination.

"And I'm going to wait."

Finding her voice, she says meekly, "When I'm ready, I promise to tell you instead of posting it on my social profile."

He laughs, and like in slow motion, he leans forward to kiss her, kissing her with tenderness.

"I have no problem with that," he smiles against her mouth.

He settles his arm around her shoulders, holding her close and tucked against his side. She rests her head on his chest, nose nuzzling his neck.

"I'm sure you've had your share of kinky sex—"

"Haley!"

His deep laugh makes her smile, and she cuddles deeper into the embrace, feeling his fingers start to stroke her hair.

She wants to trust in the perfect moment and give in to the impetuous, euphoric need to spill out what her heart feels. But it's frightening that she could be the most vulnerable one if she declared her love for him and he rebuffed her.

Closing eyes to her chickenheartedness, she lifts her head, her lips finding his jaw and leaving a light kiss on it.

It's still too premature to take such a leap of faith.


	22. Chapter 22

**Eh, another lengthy one :) Enjoy!**

* * *

Haley hates PE.

She feels like it's a waste of time for her to spend learning how to unsuccessfully climb a rope or do never-ending jumping jacks or run around the track in a poor attempt to keep fit once a week. It's an hour that would be spent working on an assignment or doing mock SATs.

Yells are filtering through from the gym to the locker room, the sound of rubber soles squealing against the floor being heard above the racket.

With a soft sigh, she lowers her jeans over her legs, grabbing the gym shorts in her locker.

She hates these little things that barely cover her thighs, tiny shorts that constantly make her worry that they'll rip in half if she dare moves the worst way. At least the t-shirt is long enough, but not too baggy to go along with gravity should she ever do a somersault.

"Nice mosquito bites."

The voice comes from behind her, and bearing in mind that they're the only two left in the locker section, Haley figures that she's the target.

"Excuse me?"

Rachel slams her locker shut, and planting a hand on her hip, she turns to Haley. With a vicious smile on her lips, she flickers her eyes to Haley's chest briefly.

Haley feels an overwhelming urge to slap her but instead, she purses her lips and snaps, "I guess not all of us prefer silicone weighing us down."

Throughout the semester, they've not said a word to each other during PE, but Rachel has been vocal about making cracks about her with her friends.

Rachel cocks her head to the side, and then laughs tauntingly.

"Is that the best you can do?"

Haley really wants to punch her, knock her out cold and purge her of her unpleasant personality.

"Girls like you wouldn't know what to do with guys like him," Rachel adds softly with disdain.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Raych! Come on!" a shrill voice yells from the door.

Rachel's cruel grin grows as she walks away. "I used to be a fat chick with a small head, too."

Hurling an imaginary blade into Rachel's back, Haley pulls her hair up into a ponytail, her teeth grinding. She's close to reaching her saturation point with these mind games.

Due to the drizzle, PE is indoors.

It's dodge ball, and they're split into two teams, girls in matching blue shorts and white school t-shirts.

Rachel is in the opposing team, and Haley can swear that she sees her marking a special ball just for her. Things certainly didn't change even after being confined in the same space for hours during a lockdown.

Haley manages to stay untouched as the game proceeds, and strikes out two of the other team's members. Eventually, they're four short on her team, and she's one of the five left standing.

It happens so fast.

The ball comes hurtling like it's been programmed to specifically find her, and she can make out its whiz as it rockets towards her.

Her quick reflexes don't kick in on time. The rubber ball lands on her brow with a smack, her head snapping back like a twig.

The pain comes quickly, hitting every nerve in her head and making her eyes water.

"Ow!"

She takes a step back, head bent over, palm over the aching spot on her forehead.

"You could have taken out my eye! Or broken my teeth!"

Toothless on a Monday. That would go really well in setting the mood for the week.

Taking in a breath, she lifts her head, dropping her hand and blinking against the stinging.

Her teammates' grimaces tell her that it's bad. With her pale skin, it probably looks like she's been mauled by an army of fire ants.

Miss Norman, the gym teacher, is now standing in front of her.

"You alright?" she asks in her deep voice, peering closely at her.

"She did it on purpose," Haley growls, jerking her chin at Rachel.

She's not above acting like a kindergartener where Rachel and her antics are involved.

Rachel pushes past those before her, stepping up to Haley. "I didn't. I was aiming for your thigh."

"My thigh is not close to my face!"

"It's not my fault that you moved!"

"You wanted to maim me!"

"You are such a f—"

"Girls! Enough!" Miss Norman yells, stepping between them.

"Everybody run laps. Now!"

The circle formed around them disbands, and they're the only three left standing.

"Accidents happen, Haley. You'll be alright. As for you, Rachel, learn how not to aim at people's faces. Both of you. Laps. Now."

Haley is still seething as she jogs slowly ahead of Rachel, rubbing at the heartbeat forming on her forehead.

"Bitch," Rachel grumbles from behind her.

And then she bumps her shoulder hard against Haley's. Haley stops, watching the redhead jog ahead.

At that moment, she has never felt so much hatred for anything or anyone. She's always thought she's above getting violent in any way when confronted by such tricks, but she's not above it. She's tired of turning her cheek and she's tired of being picked on.

Something dark takes control of her and before she can stop herself, she's running towards Rachel, throwing herself on top of her and tackling her to the ground.

Caught off guard, Rachel lets out a high-pitched scream, the shrill sound echoing around the gym.

Sitting on Rachel's back, Haley yanks at her hair, tugging her backwards violently.

"You really like insulting me, don't you!?"

Rachel is every negative word and reception she has received for as long as she and Nathan have been a couple. Rachel is Brooke, Rachel is Tim, Rachel is every snicker, every whisper, every stare and every glare.

Rachel tries to fight back by kicking up her legs, attempting to throw Haley off balance, her fingernails slashing at the air.

"Get the hell off me, you bitch!"

She shouts hysterically, squirming around harder until Haley loses grip on Rachel's hair, falling backwards.

"Stop calling me that!"

Without missing a beat, they both get to their knees, lunging at each other like lionesses. Rachel's fingernail rips across Haley's neck, Haley retaliating by slamming her onto the gym floor again.

They tussle on the ground, each one in a frenzy to get the upper hand. Blinded by their fury, slurs, screams of rage and curses fly of their mouths.

A crowd is gathering around them, but the girls' wild shrieks and grunts drown out the excited chants as they roll around.

When Rachel grabs fistfuls of Haley's hair, Haley smacks at her all over with curled fists. One of the punches lands on Rachel's jaw, and with a yell, Rachel lets go, landing on her back.

Her head free, Haley stares down at the redhead, raising her ready fist to throw a punch.

She is suddenly wrestled away, Miss Norman's iron arm around her waist as she drags her backwards along the floor.

"ARE YOU TWO CRAZY!?" the teacher's gruff voice rips through the walls.

When they're a distance away from the spectators, Miss Norman drops her arm from Haley's waist. Blowing shrilly into the whistle strung around her neck, she glares at the crowd with annoyance, yelling, "Did I say you should stop running!?"

The girls quickly scurry away to resume their jog.

"Gatina! Get over here!" Miss Norman barks angrily.

Rachel straightens up, her eyes burning with loathing as she stares at Haley. Huffing, Haley throws her an equally withering look. The adrenaline pumping through her makes her long to leave Rachel doubled over like a lawn chair.

"What is wrong with you two?" Miss Norman growls.

Without speaking, they look at each other, both of them breathing hard, as though they're daring each other to speak first.

"It was a misunderstanding," Rachel acknowledges.

"A misunderstanding that had you pulling each other's hair? Fighting on school grounds will get you suspended. Or expelled."

Miss Norman pauses for effect, fixing them with a glare that challenges them to argue.

"Detention. Two weeks starting Monday morning."

Haley is ready to dispute, but she holds her tongue, reckoning that detention is better than suspension.

"Hit the showers," Miss Norman orders before walking away while mumbling to herself.

Rachel seems unfazed, like she's used to violating school rules, while she is having an internal anxiety attack. She has never been in detention before. She wonders if it will go on her record when she's working so hard to get into a high-status college.

Rachel catches up with her friends, and they immediately huddle around her. She says something that has them snickering, and as if on cue, they all whirl around in search of something.

Someone.

Their glances land on her, and they gawk for an instant before turning away again, talking amongst themselves like a foursome plotting a world peace strategy.

Haley turns away from them and heads for the locker room, grateful that she has it all to herself.

* * *

The locker room is still empty five minutes later when she stands by the mirrors, scrutinizing her reflection.

She couldn't call herself ugly or an extraordinary beauty that got offered modeling contracts simply by standing on the street.

The mirror showed her the same thing every day; five-foot-five, well developed breasts, generous mouth, brown eyes, dark hair, although damp from the shower, milky skin, curvy hips. Today there's a nice little scratch on her neck and a cherry welt on her forehead.

She is nothing special, just an ordinary girl with an ordinary body.

What was Nathan seeing that she wasn't?

She's seen the reaction students have when they see them together.

It always makes her uncomfortable to be the focus of gossipy whispers and speculative looks, like they're struggling to make sense of what popular Nathan Scott is doing with nerdy Haley James.

With a frustrated grunt, she grabs her bag and marches to the door.

By the time she gets to her locker, she wants to find a bullhorn to yell some unsavory words into.

The high school rumour mill has been working overtime. So far, she's heard that she pulled Rachel's hair out and gave her a bald patch, Rachel broke her nose, they were both rolling around shirtless, and that Rachel is unconscious in the nurse's office.

They're ridiculous accounts, and she wishes that Peyton was around for them to have a good laugh.

She's glad that Rachel is not at her locker. If it were possible to request for a locker exchange after a catfight, she would be filling the forms right now.

It wasn't one of her proudest moments thrashing around on the floor with her hands gripping Rachel's moussed hair, but she couldn't let her get away with it. It was payback for all the underhanded comments she's been making since they met; they have clearly exacerbated after she started seeing Nathan.

"High school sucks," she mutters under her breath.

Nathan shows up when she's grabbing her books for the next class.

"Hales! Haley! I heard that you…"

He pauses, his eyes widening a bit as he reaches for her face.

"What the hell happened?" His thumb lightly brushes over the throbbing swell on her forehead.

"Dodge ball."

He points to the gash along her neck before tracing his finger over it. "And this?"

"Catfight."

"It's true about you and Rachel?" he asks with surprise. "I thought it was just some crazy rumour. Why were you fighting?"

She slams her locker shut, her hand on the cool metal as she faces him fully.

"I am not good enough for Tree Hill High's most popular jock, it seems."

Nathan gets a dark gleam in his eye as he leans close to her. "Is that what people are saying?"

She shrugs, not the least bit unmoved by everything. People's looks, actions and comments about their uncharacteristic relationship are hard to ignore.

"This is just between us, Hales. They can talk all they want, but it has nothing to do with them. Nothing."

She nods, watching him closely. His gaze is firm, but he also looks sweaty and fidgety.

"You okay, babe?"

The word comes automatically like it has been lately. She's getting less self-conscious about using endearments, and she feels a little thrill whenever Nathan uses them.

"Yeah. I just get a little tense before a game. I got you something."

He pulls out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, grinning proudly as he hands it to her.

Confused, her eyes run over the paper. The letterhead says that it's from a lab in Wilmington.

"What's this?"

He leans over to kiss her cheek, pointing to a corner of the paper. Gasping softly, Haley stuffs the paper into the deep abyss of her bag.

"You brought it here?" she whispers in horror, looking around them.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm clean."

Her lips part in shock as she stares at him, a heat rising on her cheeks. Apparently, he wasn't joking around last week when he said that he would get her proof that he didn't have any infections or diseases.

With a chuckle, Nathan leans down to kiss her. "Are you coming to the Cove City game tonight?"

"Yeah. Are you sure you're okay? You're shaking."

"My heart's racing, too."

He takes her hand, holding it over his heart, a smirk on his face.

"That's what happens when I'm around you, baby."

Her smile fades after a moment at the sheen of sweat she spots on his forehead.

"Seriously, you don't look good. Do—"  
"I'm fine, alright?" he snaps, dropping her hand. "Stop bugging me about it."

Her head recoils like from whiplash. "Whoa. Why are you being so weird?"

"Because I can, okay?" he barks.

They're getting the attention of those around them.

"That's how it works, Haley. People are mean, life's a bitch."

Eyes narrowed, she curls her fingers around her binder, matching his hard stance.

"What's your problem?"

He laughs, almost maniacally, his hands trembling, eyes twitching. "What's my problem? My problem is on the other side of the school and in a few hours, if I'm not perfect, I will be eaten alive. That's my problem."

"And that makes it okay for you to take it out on me?"

With a two-worded curse, he's brushing past her, yanking the headset around his neck and tugging it over his ears.

As he disappears through the throng, Haley is left asking herself one question: what the hell just happened?

* * *

"Hey, slugger."

Haley groans softly at Peyton's greeting. "Hey. Game's almost over."

"We got stuck in traffic."

"How was it?"

"Okay, but in comparison to a visit to the museum, I think you had a more exciting day," Peyton says, nudging her shoulder.

Her hand forms a curtain over her face as she peeks through her fingers.

"I feel like such an idiot."

She retells what happened in Phys Ed, showing the bump on her forehead and the fingernail scratch on her neck.

"She fights like a girl."

Peyton is laughing uncontrollably, a hand over her stomach. "As opposed to you fighting like a…"

"I appreciate a good brawl over using my nails like a wild cat."

Her eyes roam the gym to the cheerleaders, locking on Rachel's. They shoot each other dark scowls, and Haley tears her gaze away, focusing on the game.

From where they are, they can hear Mouth and Jimmy making commentary.

"That's 38 points for Nathan Scott tonight, and we're early in the fourth quarter. He's five points from breaking the all-time high against Cove City."

Some of their comments have been assessments between the current game and the record-breaking one that Dan Scott was in years ago. Haley knows that Nathan hates it whenever someone compares him to his father. It's not once that he's said that he's stuck in his father's shadow when people constantly make their comparisons.

"That's right, Mouth. The high score is held by Nathan's father, Dan Scott, and I'm curious to see whether he will successfully break that record."

Nathan shoots another basket, and Haley stands with the cheering crowd.

"He's on fire, isn't he?" Peyton says, hand digging into a bag of chips.

"Yeah," Haley replies vaguely.

She's never seen him like that on the court, looking agitated and a little too uptight.

"Does he look okay to you?"

She hasn't talked to him since he got so snippy in the afternoon. It's like a phantom came over him in the moment he was being sweet, turning him into a dark, underworld creature.

"He looks the same. Is he sick or something?"

He grabs the ball and starts for the other side of the court towards their goal. A Cove City player blocks him, but Nathan roughly pushes him away, and then shoots the ball.

Haley frowns at the move, the whistle blowing as the referee motions to Nathan.

In just a few seconds, Nathan is yelling at the referee while making wild hand gestures.

"What is he doing?"

Whitey drags him away by the arm, the look on his weathered face less than amused. They exchange words, Nathan glaring at Whitey while pointing to the referee.

With a few words, Whitey points him to the bench. Nathan's face contorts with fury before he seems to collect himself, saying something to Whitey.

The coach nods, motioning the team to gather round. After a pep talk, the game is back on.

The Ravens are four points ahead, Nathan is energetic and twitchy, his movements frantic and manic. He's blinking repeatedly, yelling for the ball and throwing foul looks when ignored, even when he doesn't have a clean shot.

Luke runs up to him at some point, raising his hands in question while speaking quietly. Nathan glowers at him, and without responding, he takes off down the court.

A nasty suspicion starts to shape up in Haley's mind, fears that involve drugs. Could he be…? It's hard for her to even entertain the possibility that Nathan could be taking drugs.

"Haley…"

Peyton's voice interrupts her train of thought, and she draws her attention back to the game.

"Oh my God."

Nathan is swaying on his feet, his eyes hooded like he's about to pass out.

The ball in his hands drops to the gleaming floor before he does.

A collective gasp of shock comes from the crowd, everyone standing, the players on the court rushing towards an unmoving Nathan.

With a sudden burst of adrenaline, Haley leaps to her feet just as the referee's whistle goes off.

Panicking, she clumsily moves past the spectators to rush towards the middle of the court. She's on her knees beside Whitey, taking Nathan's hand as she stares down at his ashen face.

"Nathan? Baby, can you hear me?"

"You're not helping," Tim growls from the other side.

"Shut the hell up," she snaps back, scared out of her mind, tears welling up in her eyes.

Her hands are trembling as they cup the sides of Nathan's face. Sprawled out flat on his back, his chest is hardly rising steadily.

"N-Nathan?"

The circle of players and spectators surrounding them increases, their presence closing in on her.

"Is there a doctor here?" she stammers at Whitey.

The coach is yelling into his phone, and she realizes that he's calling for an ambulance. She's frightened that by the time they respond to their call, it could be too late.

"We have to get him to the hospital."

Lucas is right across her, and she's startled that she did not register his presence.

She nods, ready to get to her feet and find a way to get Nathan help fast when someone shoves her aside.

In confusion, she looks up, finding Dan Scott leaning over Nathan. Sweeping an arm under his neck and the other under his knees, Dan lifts him off the floor.

"Move!" he commands the crowd.

Not missing a beat, Haley follows him through the mob and all the way to the parking lot.

Dan settles Nathan in the backseat of his car, and slamming the door, he looks derisively at her.

"Stay out of this," he barks, pushing her out of the way.

Watching the taillights disappear into the darkness, Haley recovers her composure.

Like hell she'll stay out of it.

She starts running back towards the gym, holding back the tears that are pricking at her eyes. Her thoughts are muddled, ranging from Nathan having a heart attack to him having a clot in his brain to him never waking up if he's slipped into a coma.

Stopping at the door leading into the gym, she changes her mind, charging towards the boys' locker room.

Her eyes frantically look from one locker to the next in search of Nathan's.

The two lockers written 'Scott' are side by side, and the first one looks full of Luke's things. Opening the other, she blinks rapidly, her hands grabbing at Nathan's things. With fumbling fingers, she shakes out his pants to locate the keys.

She slams the locker shut, shoving his clothes in the duffle bag while walking quickly towards the door.

The other players are walking in as she's heading out but she doesn't give them a second look.

"What are you doing in my locker room?" Whitey asks.

His intimidating presence is not something she's prepared to deal with.

She stops, fear racing through her, and against the tightness in her chest she says, "I-I came for Nathan's things."

Whitey studies her for a second before giving her a brief nod of approval.

Her heart hammering unevenly, she runs towards the gym.

The hallway is filled with noisy conversation, people jostling in all directions. Haley zigzags through the crowd, her eyes dashing from face to face until she spots Peyton's blonde curls.

Peyton grabs her arm, tugging her from the throng and close to the wall.

"What's going on?"

Haley shakes her head, ready to start crying. "I don't…I don't know. Dan took him to the hospital and I—"

"Here," Peyton says, thrusting Haley's purse into her hands. "You want me to go with you?"

"No. I'm taking Nathan's car. I'll call you later."

Using the remote, she locates his car at the edge of the parking lot.

Her heart is jumping in her throat and her legs are trembling as she slides into the Mustang, fingers shaking as she inserts the key in the ignition.

She runs the back of her hand across the beads of sweat on her brow. She can do this. Nathan has always been in the car with her, but tonight, he isn't. And she has to get to him.

"Ten and two…ten and two…ten and two…"

Gripping the steering wheel, knuckles white, she puts the car in drive and presses the accelerator. It surges forward, gradually, and with a sharp curse, she presses on the gas.

"Relax," she tells herself, a shudder going through her.

She ignores every honk directed at her. Drivers force her to go faster with their persistent hooting, some yell insults at her, but she just lets them drive around her.

Her speed may be slow, her hands may be clutching the wheel like it's her lifeline, but it's a small victory for her to even be driving at all, with no supervision nevertheless.

In less than twenty minutes, she's pulling up into the hospital, a location that's only a ten-minute drive from the school. She brings the car to a complete stop a short distance from the emergency room doors.

Raking her fingers through her hair, she gives her pounding body a minute to calm down before she leaps out of the car. She pauses long enough past the doors to spot the front desk.

"Excuse me! I'm looking for—"

"What do you want?"

She doesn't flinch as she turns to face him, knowing that the best way to dealing with Dan Scott is not cowering in fear.

"Is he okay?" she breathes out urgently.

Dan's fists are clenched, his face as hard as granite as he stares down at her.

"I told you to stay out of this."

"And you assumed that I would listen?"

"You have a big mouth on you."

She ignores him, asking, "What happened to him? What did the doctor say?"

"Go home, Ellie."

Haley fixes a level gaze on him, several harsh phrases burning her mouth.

"I do mean to be rude when I tell you that my son is none of your goddamn concern," Dan says cruelly.

"Nathan is my goddamn concern," she says, flushing hotly.

She can practically see him frothing at the mouth as he takes a step towards her, invading her space.

"You are getting on my nerves, little girl," he says with a hostile look. Like he can sense her discomfort, Dan looks her over slowly as if he's trying to figure her out.

She longs to turn and run, but she stays put. She's not here for him.

He pauses, a flicker in his eyes like a light bulb has gone on in his head.

"Oh, my."

His lips curl in a disdainful smile, cruel amusement dancing in his eyes. "You love him."

Haley's heart bottoms out, and she keeps her gaze lowered. Of all the people to say it out loud, it had to be done by Dan Scott?

The low laugh is evil and low-spirited. Haley jerks her gaze up to meet Dan's, his spiteful behaviour stabbing at her like sharp knives.

"This is just rich. Oh, God."

As if to exaggerate things, he wipes at the corner of his eye with his sleeve. "I hope you're not thinking that it's going to be forever and ever and ever."

"Do you just enjoy tormenting kids?"

He takes a deep breath, his mouth slowly forming a wretched smile.

"Mr. Scott?"

They both turn to face the man in the white lab coat. Haley forces herself to straighten her shoulders and shake off Dan's mean-mindedness. It baffles beyond description the incalculable cruelty that Nathan has had to grow up with.

"We have security looking for your son. I'm sure he's still here."

Haley turns to Dan in disbelief. "Security? You lost him?"

He doesn't respond, and she's certain that Nathan left to avoid dealing with him.

She just turns away and whips out her cell phone with intention to call Nathan, changing her mind when she realizes that his phone is in the duffle bag on the passenger seat.

Worried, hating how they ended things earlier in the day, Haley runs out of the hospital. Just as slowly as she arrives, she backs the car out of the lot, aiming to find Nathan.

She drives up and down the streets on the lookout for him as she heads for his usual hangouts; he's not at the docks, the River Court, the beach house or the mansion.

It's late, almost eleven, when she gets home.

The house is dark, and a little chill goes through her when she thinks about going to bed in that gloomy house with her gloomy feelings.

She draws out a long sigh, resting her forehead on her hands. With great effort, she steps out of the car and into the house.

Exhausted, she starts the walk up the stairs, almost losing her balance. When she turns on the lights to her room, the figure on her bed startles her so much that her heart skips a beat.

He starts to stir, raising his head to look at her. He's still in his white jersey, like he walked straight from the court to her house.

"Oh my God…"

Air whooshing from her lungs, Haley stares at him as he slowly sits up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He looks pale, like someone ill who is still frail and in recovery.

"Nobody answered the door," he says weakly.

"They're out."

Dropping her bag, she moves swiftly across the room to sit beside him. Her chin is quivering and tears are forming in her eyes as she looks him over. He's not in a coma.

"I was s-scared to death."

"I'm sorry."

At his apologetic tone, she throws her arms around him, starting to cry from sheer relief. She wants to punch him and scream at him, but the relief overrides the urge to get violent.

"Please don't do that again," she sobs, not caring whether her reaction will scare him off. She's just glad to see that he's okay.

His arms are banded around her waist tightly, his face in her neck. He apologizes again, rubbing her back in soothing circles.

When she gets her emotions under control, she pulls away slowly to look into his eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asks huskily, her hands on his shoulders.

He rubs her jaw gently with the pad of his thumb, nodding. "I am now."

Exhaling shakily, she wraps her hand around his wrist, stroking his skin.

"What happened?"

He sighs heavily, shoulders drooping. "I did something stupid, Haley."

The defeat in his posture shakes her to the core, and in an attempt to soothe him, her hand slides up to the back of his neck.

"What?"

It scares her all over again remembering what happened on the court a few hours ago.

"I've been taking steroids for the last few days."

She didn't want to believe that he'd involved himself with drugs. He's just looking at her patiently and regretfully, as though waiting for her to speak.

"Why?"

"My dad kept harping on me about how I wasn't good enough to break his record and I…I'm such an idiot."

Not knowing what to say, she rests her forehead lightly on his arm.

"I…I've made a lot of mistakes, Haley," he breathes. "Sometimes because of my dad, sometimes by choice. I just can't do it anymore."

"It's okay."

He shakes his head, blinking hard. She's afraid, fighting off a mild panic at seeing him so distraught.

"No. No, it's not okay. I'm not okay. I was so scared. I'm still terrified. Then I saw you. I promised myself that if I could just get up, and walk over to you…"

His voice breaks, shoulders still slumped as he raises his eyes. Right then, she knows that falling out of love with him is not an option.

"And tell you how much I need you, and how much I want you, that nothing else matters."

The look on his face wrenches at her heart. With a lump in her throat, she leans over to dot kisses on his mouth, his jaw, back to his mouth again.

"I don't ever remember feeling like this, Hales. I – I'm completely done."

"It's going to be alright, Nathan," she says, a faint edge of tears in her voice. She has never seen him like this, completely beaten, defeated, vulnerable and hopeless.

He cups her face in his large palms, his thumbs brushing away the tears leaking from her eyes. Leaning over, he brushes his lips over hers in the lightest kiss.

"I'm sorry about today, baby. I'm so sorry."

Haley is sniffling as she links her hands with his. "I know."

She kisses him gently like he'd kissed her before getting up from the bed and padding across the room.

"Haley…"

Resting her hand on the handle, she turns to look at him. What he did has broken him.

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

Her back to him, she bites down on her bottom lip, contemplating.

"I just…I can't go home tonight."

The soft click of the door echoing around the room affirms her decision.

She turns to face him, certain about her choice. Tonight is not about anything physical; he needs her more than he's ever needed her before.

"You must be tired," she says.

He shuts his eyes for a moment and grates a hand down his face. "Yeah."

"Me, too."

Kneading at the back of her neck, Haley moves towards her dresser, pulling at a drawer.

Nathan stands, showing her his back.

"What are you doing?" she asks, sleeping shorts hanging from her hand.

His head turns to the side, but his eyes are on the wall. "Um, I thought you'd want to change…"

When they are intimate, it's all been through layers of clothes or partially removed clothing. Haley finds it weirdly wonderful that she's so willing to let him see her when she's shy with others.

She knows she's no cheerleader or model, but Nathan has seductively whispered plenty of times just what he thinks of her body.

Her eyes on his back, she whips her shirt over her head, throwing it in the laundry hamper. Unzipping her jeans, she lowers them down her legs, watching his muscles tense up like he's controlling himself.

"I'm done."

He turns around slowly, his gaze running down her body and making her flush. Just one look and she feels powerless.

"Can I use your shower?" he asks in a low whisper.

She holds his gaze for an instant and then nods, giving him a slight smile as he leaves the room.

"There are towels and toothbrushes in the cabinet."

"Okay."

Thinking of a naked Nathan under the hot spray of her shower has her biting down on her lip, leaving her feeling like an oversexed alley cat. It's not right having such explicit thoughts after what he went through tonight.

Hoping that her parents don't arrive while he's in the shower, she searches through her drawers for a large t-shirt.

She pulls out one that Keith gave her that has his garage's logo, a t-shirt she's only worn once.

Gasping at the thought of her parents, she grabs her slippers and runs out of the room.

In the next second, she's back in her room, hastily rifling through her bag for Nathan's car keys.

She parks the Mustang a few houses down the street, out of sight from her house should her parents see it. Winded from the run, she's panting as she races back to her room, her heartbeat a loud, rapid thud in her ears.

With the sound of the shower running in the distance, she makes busy straightening her room, and pulling back the covers on the bed.

It's not that he hasn't been to her room before; they've made out a lot on her bed while they did their homework, but he's spending the night.

Hers is a single, and she's worried that it will be small for both of them for the entire night. But she has never minded cuddling with him, the way his larger, harder body feels against hers.

He steps back into the room only in the shorts, his hair damp and darker. He looks marginally better than he did when she saw him earlier.

"Hey."

"Hey," she smiles, moving towards him, her eyes raking over his muscled chest. "I got you a shirt."

"Keith's Body Shop? Did you work there?"

She laughs, pecking his lips. "I'll be right back."

Face scrubbed clean and teeth brushed, she slips back into her room, finding Nathan perched at the edge of the bed, a thoughtful look on his face.

He glances up at her, holding up his phone. "My dad's calling me non-stop."

She had forgotten that she left Dan at the hospital. "Have you told him where you are?"

With a shake of his head, he straightens his spine. "I just told him that I'm at Tim's."

She sits beside him, drawing his hand to her lap. What are the chances that Dan will figure out that Nathan is at her house and show up to drag him home in the middle of the night?

He smiles faintly at her, kissing the tip of her nose. "Thank you."

Haley rests her head on his shoulder, and they sit as they are for a while.

"I don't know what to do, Hales," Nathan says, trailing his thumb along her skin. "I feel like I don't have any options. My mom doesn't give a crap about me, I'm drugging myself to get the better of my dad, and right now, I would rather just be on my own."

His heavy sigh is of someone resigned to the fact that his life is forever hopeless.

"You could," she says quietly.

He exhales softly. "Emancipation."

With a nod, Haley lifts her head, releasing her hand from his to walk to her study desk. She tugs at the drawer, removing the wad of papers that she had printed.

Holding them out, she returns to her previous spot beside him. He doesn't say anything, his eyes gliding over the words on the first page.

A flicker of hope sweeps across his face when he raises his head. "You think it could work?"

She leans toward him and brushes her mouth with his.

"Let's find out."


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey, guys! In case you're wondering about the length of the story, it's quite extensive. Longest I've ever written, and we have **_**a while**_** to go! :)**

**As always: thank you for reading.**

* * *

"I think I should get back to the madness."

Haley groans softly as she burrows her head into Nathan's chest, wishing that he didn't have to go. She likes having him in her bed.

He brushes a kiss across her forehead, arms still around her. "But hey, if I could, I'd stay like this all day."

Craning her neck to look up at him, Haley chews on her bottom lip.

"Last night was our first sleepover."

They talked for a while before they slunk into her bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

He studies her face, his fingers lightly grazing over her cheek.

"Hey, it's not about sex with me, alright? When you're ready, I'll be ready, too."

"Well, that sucks," she hears herself say.

"What does?"

He looks confused, like he's not sure that they're talking about the same thing. It makes her chuckle.

"About it not being about sex. Even if it's not entirely about sex, there's a small part that is, right?"

She's certain that she has completely confused him. His eyes are just looking at her unblinkingly.

He sits up, elbows supporting him, mouth slightly open.

"What? Have I been pressuring you about it? God, Haley, I don't want you to feel like we have to do anything. This is good between us, alright? I swear. I like it that we have an incredible friendship, and the attraction is definitely a bonus, but I'm not pushing you to have sex."

An ache forms in her gut and she reaches up, bringing his lips down to hers to silence him. She shifts to straddle him while she continues to kiss him with a maddening need.

"I don't mean to tease you."

"You don't. You're just hot."

With a laugh, her fingers dig into his hair as their lips fuse together, separating just long enough for them to adjust their bodies.

When she feels him stir against her sleep shorts, Haley holds his head closer, and as though starved, her tongue invades his mouth, his taste seeping through to every alert nerve in her body.

He sits up, the change in position making her whimper.

"Don't stop…"

His warm hands slip under her shirt, and he starts to tease the sensitive skin on her back. She likes that they're familiar with each other, each knowing where the other likes to be touched.

Chest to chest, his palms ease up and down her back in slow caresses.

She's disoriented, the overwhelming need she has for him consuming her like it's written on every part of her flushed skin.

They draw apart for much-needed air and he looks at her as if asking for permission. It's almost too much for her, the heat of the moment, the forceful look in his eyes.

A tremor goes through her and she angles her head to kiss him.

He draws her closer yet to him, and in unhurried strokes, his hands roam up her skin to her bra, cupping her breasts over the satin material.

She actually whimpers at the sensation of his thumbs tweaking her through the fabric.

Shamelessly grinding her hips into his, she unwinds her fingers from his hair, desperate to touch his skin.

She reaches for the hem of his t-shirt and tugs it over his head.

"When you do that, it feels like sex is a big part of this," Nathan murmurs.

"I told you."

Their mouths once again seek each other out with absurd desire, the movements between them a tangle of arms, legs and tongues.

The warmth of his hands is back again on her skin, his fingers at the clasp of her bra.

She gasps softly when the back snap loosens, freeing her from the unbearably suffocating material. Gently, he starts to slide the straps down her shoulders, lips locked on hers in a drowning kiss.

Her inexperience makes her wary sometimes, but whenever they're together like this, she gets so swept up in the wanting and needing that she forgets her fears.

With that wanton lust slamming through her, she rests her fingers on the waistband of his boxers.

Every time she thinks of what they are, what they're doing, she desperately wants to go further with him.

Her hand starts wandering, touching his skin, her fingers feeling unruly as she dips them into his boxers.

It's not the first time she's done it, but she stills along with him when she touches him, the kiss they're sharing getting hungrier as her hand—

"Haley?"

They both freeze.

Tearing her lips from his, Haley looks over her shoulder, panic and shock like a bucket of icy water flung at her face.

"Are you awake?"

Still trembling, she croaks, "Y-yeah, Mom. Um, what's up?"

"I'm leaving, but I'll be back by lunchtime."

"Okay. Bye!"

Her voice sounds strained, and she wonders if her mother can tell that at this moment, there's a half-naked boy beneath her.

Thinking that they're safe, she breathes out as she turns to look down at Nathan.

The door handle turns and she almost screams out, Nathan's hand going over her mouth.

Not moving a muscle, she waits for her mother to burst in and catch them as they are.

"Door's locked, honey. Are you okay?"

She stiffens, feeling like all her insides are turning to stone.

"Relax," Nathan mouths, dropping his hand.

"I – I forgot to unlock it," she shakily calls out. "I'm not dressed yet. Do you need something?"

There's silence from the other side of the door before her mother says, "Nothing important. Dad's downstairs waiting for you."

"I'll be right there."

They're both quiet as they hear her move away from the door, her thumps retreating further and further with every step.

"Oh my God," Haley exhales, stunned at what could have happened if her mother had walked in.

"Oh my God."

"I locked the door last night," he says, righting her straps and hooking back her bra.

"Thank you. I was about to die."

He gently strokes the soft skin of her abdomen and she badly wants to pick up where they left off. Instead, she kisses him fiercely, a scorching kiss that leaves them panting.

Foreheads pressed together, they draw in calming breaths, Haley holding his face in her hands.

If her mother hadn't knocked, things between them would have gotten really heavy. It's probably for the best that they wait for the right time.

"I'm going to file for emancipation," Nathan says.

A wave of immense relief sweeps over her at the resolution. Last night was his breaking point with his father.

They spent an hour online last night, looking up everything they could about his rights as a minor.

She nods the tiniest bit, sliding her palm along his jaw. He deserves to be happy, and if getting away from his dad leads him there, she'll back him up.

"Are you sure?"

Nathan presses his lips to the corner of her mouth. "I'm sure."

An arm around his neck, she lightly caresses his cheek with her fingertips. The fear of last night is still in her yet.

"Promise me something."

He skims his fingers down the side of her face, kissing her lips lightly.

"Anything."

She leans her forehead against his briefly, her eyes watery as she tips her head back to look at him.

"Promise me that you'll never do that again."

The tortured expression sketched on his face of guilt and regret is clear.

Her voice is wobbly as she begins again. "Promise…promise me that you'll never take those pills again. Promise me that when you feel afraid or pressured, you'll talk to me. And when we don't know what to do, we'll figure it out together."

She can't put into words just how much he means to her.

"I will," he promises hoarsely.

Blowing out a sigh of relief, her lips meet his for a deep kiss. Her arms desperately cling onto him as he kisses her back thoroughly and fervently.

She breaks the kiss, pulling back to look into his eyes, her fingers stroking his jaw. He smiles and pushes her hair away from her face. She loves him, every part of him that is stubborn, passionate, afraid and resilient.

Managing her own smile, she says, "I think you're really brave to consider rebuilding who you are. I don't think I could do that."

Nathan cups her chin in his hand and presses a soft kiss to her lips.

"You're stronger than you think, baby. You drove last night, and I'm so proud of you."

Her mouth curves into a real smile against his. She did drive last night. And no one got hurt.

"I had a great teacher."

She drops her gaze to his boxers. "I'm going downstairs to distract my parents while you…cool off and slip out the window."

"What?"

"Or you can just wait for them to leave."

Her lips brush over his quickly before she slides off the bed. Grabbing the drawstring pajama bottoms from the hamper, she slides them over her legs.

"But you'd have to hide in my closet in case they surprise you."

He swings his feet over the bed to stand. "What? You can't just leave me here."

"I have to."

She puts a finger over her mouth and throws him a wink before unlocking the door and stepping out.

After using the bathroom, she skips down the stairs to the kitchen. She finds her father seated at the table, salt-and-pepper hair disheveled, reading glasses perched at the end of his nose, a mug of steaming coffee in one hand, a sheaf of papers in the other.

"Hi, Dad," she greets him with a peck to his cheek.

She feels guilty for being so sneaky, but she can't stop the grin on her face after what – who – she awakened to.

"Morning. Your mother told you she left?"

"Mmhh."

She discovers that she's pretty hungry, considering that she didn't have dinner last night. She fills a bowl with cornflakes and toasts a pop tart, sitting opposite him at the table.

"Where is your boyfriend?"

She stops mid-bite, her heart collapsing with horror. He knows.

"What?"

"He's usually passing by in the morning on weekends, isn't he?"

Relieved, Haley laughs softly, hoping her cereal doesn't divert to her windpipe from her nervousness.

"Busy," she says before shoving a spoonful of soggy cereal into her mouth.

He's looking at her so curiously that she shifts in her chair.

"What is it?"

"How serious is it between you two?"

"Dad, please," she says, looking away with embarrassment.

"I can't ask my youngest daughter about her boyfriend?" he asks without looking at her while flipping through a few papers.

"I wish you could just get together with Karen's boy. We've known him for years, and we know what kind of fellow he is."

Her hold on the spoon tightens.

"Nothing will ever happen between me and Lucas, Dad," she says adamantly, tired of the little quips him and her mom have made over the years about her and Luke.

What she feels for Luke is completely platonic, whereas for his brother is something completely extraordinary.

Her dad looks at her over the rim of his glasses, his gaze fastening on hers for a moment before he returns to his papers.

He doesn't ask about Nathan or Lucas as she finishes her breakfast, but he does ask about her detention.

"You're yet to tell us about your detention."

She squirms in her seat awkwardly at his silent study. She can get away with letting her boyfriend sleep over, but she can't get away with not telling them that she got served with detention.

Marion, her mother's friend, is friends with Miss Norman, and clearly, the trickle effect has been steadily at work.

"Something to do with that?" he asks, pointing to her forehead.

It was still ruby-coloured when she looked in the mirror, but it's nothing that several cold packs won't fix.

Pushing her hair back behind her ears, she tells him about the fight. Chances are that Marion told them everything with embellished details.

"We got detention for two weeks, starting Monday—"

She's interrupted by a loud knock on the door. She wonders if Nathan would actually slip out her bedroom window and then come downstairs in a ruse that he's coming over.

"I'll get it."

Swallowing the last of the pop tart, she strides towards the front door, tugging it open.

There stands Dan Scott.

Her eyes round in surprise, her heart starting to beat like it wants to jump out of her chest. Her first instinct is to slam the door in his face.

He's glaring at her with hard, blue eyes, the angles on his face so sharp like he's been carved from stone.

"Where is he?" Dan demands.

"Who?" she asks, playing dumb.

She can't help adding, "Lucas?"

Dan looks like he wants to strangle her with his bare hands.

She draws out a ragged breath, and keeping her tone light, she says, "He's not here."

She moves to close the door, but Dan slaps his hand over it, bracing it open and blocking her from shutting it.

"I just came from Tim's house, and unless my son is invisible, he's not there."

Closing her parted mouth, Haley sternly looks at him. "I don't know where Nathan is, Mr. Scott."

She hopes he's gone. She hopes that in all that time since she left him upstairs in her bed, he slipped out the window and used the tree by the side of the house.

Jaw drawn in an angry line, Dan says scathingly, "Stop acting innocent because we both know that you know where he is. Where is Nathan?"

"May I help you?" her father asks from behind them, stepping into the foyer.

Dan transforms in the flash of a second, his hard-set face shifting into that of a concerned father. She's leaning more towards Dan hating that Nathan defied him last night about coming home than actually being concerned about his welfare.

He holds out his hand to her father, and she turns into a mess of tension and angst. It unnerves her, this polite side of Dan Scott that doesn't seem sincere.

"Dan Scott."

They shake hands, while appraising each other guardedly as men often do.

"Jimmy James. Great boy you have."

Haley is certain that her father is talking about Lucas, and by the twitch on Dan's jaw, he knows it, too.

"I'm looking for him, actually. Nathan," he says hurriedly, as if to clarify.

"He didn't come home last night, and since he's socializing with your daughter…"

Haley retains eye contact with Dan, hers flaring up with irritation. To this man, she will always be a second-class citizen.

There's a suspect expression on her dad's face when he asks her, "Do you know where he is?"

She shakes her head, folding her arms across her chest.

Dan slants her a dirty look of stone that's packed with controlled anger.

"I'm sure he'll turn up," her father tells Dan. With a stiff smile, Dan makes his exit.

Door shut, her dad slants his head in a searching way, like he doesn't believe a word she says.

"You don't know where he is?" he asks with a hilt of uncertainty, brow knitted.

"I don't," she states, keeping her voice steady and cool.

It is the truth. He could be anywhere right now.

After a faltering pause, she says, "I'll give him a call."

Taking a deep breath, Haley pivots on her heels and dashes up the stairs like a girlfriend would do if she heard that her boyfriend is sort-of missing.

When she gets to her room, the bed is empty. She opens her closet, but it's empty, too.

The curtains are swaying slightly; he actually went through the window.

She moves to the open window and sticks her head out. Her room overlooks the backyard, and there's a big birch tree near the corner of the house. It's too far out of reach for her, despite the trim that runs the length of the house.

For Nathan it would be easier because of his height, but for her, she would need to jump off the ledge to grab onto a tree branch. And she'd probably fall.

She grabs her cell phone off the bedside table to call him.

"Did you break anything?" she teases, perching on the edge of the bed, legs straightened out.

_"No. Did you get into trouble for having me in your bed?"_

She blushes fiercely, letting out a wry laugh to mask her embarrassment.

"No, but I can now cancel out acting as one of my prolific skills. Where are you?"

_"Couple of blocks from my house. Why?"_

She gets to her feet, moving to the window and leaning her hip on the sill. In the house diagonally across, the neighbour's monstrous St. Bernard is chasing its tail in the front yard.

"Your dad was just here."

He curses softly, saying gruffly, _"Damn it."_

The playfulness has fled from his voice.

"He went by Tim's place first," she continues.

He curses again under his breath, and then sighs.

_"I would have faced the music eventually."_

Slightly alarmed by the thought that crosses her mind, Haley pushes away from the window, a shudder roiling through her.

"He wouldn't hit you, would he?"

_"No. He's too insane to give me such an easy reason to get out from under him,"_ he says simply.

Her shoulders slump in relief. Given Dan's disposition, she's wondered about it fleetingly, but it's not until now that it's alarmed her.

They've fashioned a plan of action, and the sooner Nathan meets every requirement before making the petition, the sooner he's on his own.

A soft knock on her bedroom door jerks her out of her thoughts. Her father is standing in the doorway, still wearing that skeptical expression on his face.

His presence makes her sweat a little with panic. Did he hear her conversation?

"Babe, I'll call you back."

She presses the off button, gulping hard as she faces him. His scowl has deepened, and she deliberates whether it has something to do with the endearment she just used.

His face clears, and then he says, "I need your help with the printer cartridge."

He holds up his fingers, black smudges smeared on the tips.

She smiles, breathing out silently to hide her relief.

"Is the computer setting you up again for failure?"

He levels her with a playful, sulky look. She breaks out into a laugh, tossing the cell phone on the rumpled bedspread.

Following him out the door, she partly listens as he grumbles about the evil nature of the printer. Before she's out of sight, she darts a glance at the drawer of her study desk.

Those papers, with selected lines shaded in differently-coloured highlighter pens, are her version of a secret diary. Should her parents snoop around, considering the suspicious looks her father has been giving her this morning, they would fly off the handle at what they'd find.

She'll have to move them.


	24. Chapter 24

A pickup whizzes past, rattling the crates of peaches in its bed.

Cold wind whistles and rustles the trees, slapping Haley's cheeks and whipping the skirt of her lengthy dress around the ankles.

Drawing her jacket together under her chin, she rushes towards the already-open main doors to the school.

The swollen, dark clouds stretching out across the sky have been threatening rain since she left home, and it begins to drizzle when she's a few feet away from the main steps.

She dashes into the school, stepping into the silent hallway and shaking off the chilliness she left outside. The heels of her boots click against the floor as she takes the corridor that holds the detention room.

She's never been in detention before, rule-follower that she is. The room is half the size of a regular classroom, filled with old, chipped desks. Some morning light sifts through the only window, a broken one, at that, which looks out into the back lot of the school. Three fluorescent lights buzz and hum overhead. It's so gloomy-looking that it makes her wonder if the plan all along had been to set it aside as a special room where students get electric shock therapy to correct their behavioural defects.

It's already occupied by several students, some staring at walls, others appearing bored and scribbling into notebooks. She is familiar with a few faces, juniors like her, but the rest she doesn't know.

Miss Norman is seated behind a timeworn teacher's desk at the front of the room, writing into a notepad. She looks over the rim of her reading glasses, and she jerks her head slightly to motion her in.

She parks herself on a desk close to the back of the room in the row against the wall, and whips out her latest leisure read. Pausing, she stares at the writings carved onto the desk, some declaring love while others are just obscenities. She hides a chuckle at one directed at her algebra teacher, a grouchy, brilliant man who doesn't seem to get along with students.

In that silence, the big clock above the teacher's desk ticks loudly with each passing second.

The groan in the door has her looking up. Rachel, dressed in the blue and white cheerleading uniform, and matching track pants, sashays into the room with utmost confidence. Her eyes scan the room as she walks towards the other end of the room, a scowl screwing on her brow when their gazes meet.

They look away at the same time, Haley bowing her head over the pages of her book. It's ridiculous that she's in detention for fighting, the girl who has never been comfortable with confrontation.

So many changes for her this year.

The drizzle intensifies, turning into a heavy downpour that drums on the roof. The wind kicks up, shrieking as it speeds past the gap in the solitary window.

Apart from Miss Norman shushing a whispering group of students and waking one when he snores, her first time at detention goes smoothly, albeit the minutes are dreary and excruciatingly slow.

She'll be at it for the rest of the week.

Before the time is up, Miss Norman pushes away from her chair and gathers her books.

"You have fifteen minutes left," she says in that rasping voice, looking over the rim of her eyeglasses. Rumour has it that her voice is as a result of a surgery following years of smoking.

"No one leaves until the first bell," she warns, darting her dark eyes around the room in caution. "I assure you that you will have another added day written on your detention slip."

Less than two minutes after she's gone, the room empties out, leaving Haley and Rachel.

After some hesitation, Haley shrugs off staying put.

"You should be suspended."

Curbing the urge to roll her eyes, Haley looks across the room at the redhead. Rachel is staring at her indignantly, hip pressed against the side of the desk.

"I have a photo shoot this week, and now look at my face!"

She squints, exaggerating her scrutiny of Rachel's face. Her jaw is slightly swollen.

"You're fine."

Rachel looks like she's going to blow a fuse. "Fine? I have a goose egg right here!"

Haley shrugs, standing from her chair while trying hard not to crack a smile.

"Just ice it."

A loud huff leaves Rachel's parted lips. "Your advice is 'just ice it'? No wonder you look the way you do."

"You mean without the layers and layers of makeup it takes to get you looking so pretty?" she throws back sarcastically.

Her words irk Rachel, an expression of repulsion enfolding her features.

"You look like a farm girl."

"Is that the best you can do?" Haley taunts with the same words Rachel had used on Friday.

Rachel slips her bag over her shoulder, her face an image of resentment.

"You may be dating Nathan Scott, but that doesn't automatically make you desirable."

"I didn't realize that it was one of my goals this year."

They glare at each other in silence, the opening door shifting Haley's attention from the murderous gleam in Rachel's eyes.

No matter what, even a shared fear of a gunman, she and Rachel Gatina are predestined to never get along.

Nathan is in the doorway, an arm behind his back. The sight of him comforts her considerably.

"Hi," he smiles.

She grins in return, his appearance having made her morning a whole lot better.

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

He laughs softly, his gaze holding hers so intently that she feels her heart flutter.

"I came to see you."

He whips out what he's been hiding behind his back. She is touched beyond words when she sees the orange soda float.

"What's this for?"

"I thought that you could use a treat. It's no longer cold and it's completely melted, though."

Her smile widens into a grin, and she plucks off the paper wrapping on the tip of the straw. It may be melted, but the blend of ice-cream and soda sends a zesty sweetness racing through her.

"Mmm. Thank you."

Nathan nods, leaning over and brushing his fingers on the bruise on her forehead.

"My little bruiser."

"Little?" she chuckles.

He curls his arm around her waist, drawing her close until she's pressed to him.

"My little bruiser."

His lips are on hers for a long, hard kiss, and then he just hugs her.

"I've missed you," he murmurs into her neck.

"We saw each other over the weekend," she laughs softly, her cheek pressed to his shoulder.

After his collapse on the court Friday night, they spent most of the weekend together. They went to the museum on Saturday after her shift at the café, which Nathan hated, and then spent most of Sunday at the beach house.

Nathan was avoiding home, leaving the house when he was certain that Dan was gone and making sure that they didn't cross paths if they were home at the same time. When they did see each other, he told her, he let his father do the talking, which mainly consisted of lectures about how he needs to get in better shape for the playoffs.

He bends down and takes a sip of the float before kissing her again.

"Not the whole weekend. Most of it."

"You liked sneaking around on my parents, didn't you?"

He grins, raising his hand to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

"A little."

"What happened to you on Friday?"

Haley had forgotten that Rachel was still in the room. She's regarding them with both undisguised curiosity and annoyance, but her face straightens when Nathan turns to her.

"Dehydration."

"Trying to be skinny by drying yourself out, Nate?" she teases.

Nathan gives her a flat grin, easing Haley closer to him and starting for the door.

Brooke bounces in, dressed in the same cheerleading outfit as Rachel, ponytailed hair swinging.

"Hey, bitch!"

"Slut."

"Whore."

The leader of the junior cheerleaders flounces across the classroom and plops on Rachel's desk.

"The boots are in my car, and I swear to Gucci that if you even leave a mark on them, I will kill you."

They're quite a pair, with their shared self-possessed and haughty attitude towards those in the lower rungs of the social order.

"Ready?" Nathan asks, taking her hand and twining their fingers.

"Yeah. I need to stop at my locker first."

Brooke breaks off her conversation and glances in their direction, as if noticing for the first time that they're also in the room.

"Hey, Nate."

Her gaze drifts over Haley's face, punctuating it with a clipped nod. "Nate's girlfriend."

In the simple statement lies displeasure.

"Hey."

"Brooke…" Nathan speaks quietly, but his voice carries warning.

She shrugs with disinterest. "What? I'm just being friendly and saying hi."

Haley is a little confused, wondering if the strain between them is a result of a previous conversation that the two have had.

Nathan tugs at her hand for them to leave.

"Do you realize what you're doing?" Brooke accuses, her feet thumping on the floor like she's jumped off the desk.

Haley sucks in a breath, dread and anger seeping through her. She can feel Nathan's body grow tense.

They both turn around, Haley recognizing the look of spite and judgment on Brooke's face, the one she had when they ran into each other in the bathroom last week.

"You are sabotaging your reputation since you started hanging out with this…"

Her nostrils flare, and she looks Haley up and down with a slight air of repugnance.

"What is the matter with you?" Nathan mutters angrily, face fixed in a scowl.

"You've been ditching us, your friends," Brooke retorts with an edge of nastiness, "to continuously lower your reputation by hanging out with this ice maiden and her gang of lowlifes."

Her and Nathan stare in shock. She has endured the name-calling, but being degraded in Nathan's presence is horribly shaming.

"You are way out of line, Brooke," he spits in a frosty tone.

"I'm just stating facts," she says with a tinge of condescension and arrogance.

Mouth set angrily, her hand tightening in Nathan's, Haley shoots Brooke an enraged look. She can't believe her gall, she can't believe the kind of resentment she's carrying towards these girls who don't remotely care about anything other than their stupid popularity.

And then she laughs for a split second, unable to contain the combination of bafflement, shame and anger hurling within her.

"Wow," is all she can think of to say.

Brooke and Rachel look at her indignantly. She's certain that they want to intimidate and humiliate her in front of Nathan; they have succeeded with the latter.

"You want facts?" Nathan continues. "The fact is that we party together, Brooke, but we are not friends."

He can't have said anything to antagonize Brooke more.

"Suddenly we're not friends?" she says bitingly.

They stare each other down, Nathan appearing more threatening because of his height and build.

"Is this some kind of game to you, Brooke? You are not going to ruin the one good thing I have."

Brooke frowns, her eyes sliding to Haley before focusing back on Nathan.

"And why is my reputation so important to you?" he challenges viciously.

Face grin, Brooke folds her arms over her chest. "It has taken a nose dive, and you're dragging us along with you. She's a liability."

She may be quiet standing beside her sidekick but Rachel is not even bothering to hide her distaste with the pompous sneer plastered on her face.

Nathan glowers, taking a more aggressive stance.

"I've warned you enough times about saying crap about my girlfriend, Brooke," he says in a deadly tone. "You have no say in who I date. We're going to have a big problem if you keep giving me that self-righteous garbage about my reputation."

When Haley catches Rachel sweeping her eyes up and down Nathan's body, she wants to slug her. She wants to do more damage to that face that has a photo shoot this week.

She takes a step forward and stands in front of Brooke, clenching her fist should the boiling anger lead her to slapping Brooke with the greatest force.

Reining it in, she quietly and boldly says, "Do me a favour and keep your nose out of my life."

She throws Rachel a lethal glance. "Both of you. What's between us is no one's business but ours."

Turning, she picks up her bag, her hand hanging lamely in Nathan's as they walk out the door.

In something of a stupor, she lets him lead the way and weave them through their schoolmates wordlessly. Her eyes are on Nathan's back, her hand sensing the tense posture he's harbouring as they walk, like his body is pulsing with anger.

He enters the library, past the cubicles and tall book cases, all the way to a secluded table in the back corner of the library.

Like always, being in the library reminds Haley all over again of what happened, a chilliness sweeping over her bones. Even passing by the doors, she can hear the sound of the gunshot, she can recall the cold fear she felt while they were in hiding, while she watched Peyton bleed out from a gunshot wound.

She drops her things on the table, her body following in the chair. Resting her heated forehead on the cool surface, she closes her eyes.

"What did I even do to make those girls hate me, anyway? They don't even know me."

She's so weary of people making cracks about their relationship.

"It's high school. They don't need a reason."

Feeling her hand rise, she lifts her head, tilting it towards Nathan. Their faces are inches apart, unmistakable worry and anger twitching over his features.

He holds her hand against his mouth and places a soft kiss on her palm.

"I'm okay," she says softly with a slow nod, even when she's far from it.

She feels humiliated. Brooke and Rachel made her think of a duo of witches ready to burn her at the stake.

Teeth clenched, Nathan swipes a hand over his face before raking it through his hair.

"Damn her," he grinds out.

She never thought that being so close to someone in the "inner circle" would make her a target for so much ridicule and cruelty.

She can vaguely understand why Rachel would act out, but she can't quite fathom why Brooke would fly off the handle.

How is she supposed to compete with girls who are forever transforming themselves into Mata Hari?

Coaxing herself out of the daze, she takes in a deep breath and releases it.

"We're different…"

"Which is a problem how?"

She looks away from his probing scrutiny, her gaze landing on his chest.

"I never wanted to be the insecure girlfriend, the one who questioned and doubted why a guy was with her."

She forces herself to look at him. As usual, there's a flutter in her chest at the intense glint in his eyes.

"But…but you're that boy, the one most girls want, the one who girls fight over in dodge ball, the one whose reputation is tied in so much with his friends that if he steps outside their circle, they—"

She trails off, letting out a slow breath. For all the lectures she has given herself about not giving the slightest damn, confessing her self-doubts aloud affirms that she does give a slight damn.

"To them, I'm their opponent, and I hate that I constantly have to tolerate the whispers and the threats."

Shock, anger and concern flash through his eyes.

"Threats?"

She flinches when his hold on her hand tightens. The truth tumbles around inside of her, but she chooses to hide it. She doesn't want to lie to him, but she doesn't want to tell him the truth, either.

She feels that she's to blame for the clash he's had with Brooke, and if he were to find out about Tim intimidating her, that would be putting him in the middle again. Asking him to make a choice.

He has never asked that of her, and she's not going to start by asking that of him.

She harnesses her emotions, putting on a face void of trepidation, smiling at him in a try of reassurance. This life he has where people turn irrational because of reputation is too vicious to be believable.

Nathan tugs her out of her chair and onto his lap. She winds her arms around his neck, sifting her fingers into his hair.

Eyes never leaving hers, he brings his head slowly close to hers and kisses her cheek tenderly before muttering against her skin, "You are my sanity in all the crazy."

She can't hide the shiver that rakes through her from his warm breath.

"I don't care what anybody says and I don't care what anybody wants. You're who I want."

Pulling back a little, she looks into his eyes, into the infinite depths that are clouded with so much soothing tenderness that it throws her.

She's so chocked up that she barely manages not to weep.

Haley raises her hand and feathers her fingers along his jaw. "You make me feel alive."

He strokes his thumb lightly over her lower lip before cupping her face and leaning in to kiss her.

She clings to his broad shoulders as their tongues twirl, the kisses becoming deeper and hungrier.

Moments later, they both lean back, breaking off the kiss. Their eyes lock, the heated look in his eyes leaving no question in her mind that he wants her.

"I'll file the papers during my free period," he says, his voice soft and raspy.

She can only nod, not in the right frame of mind to fully trust herself to say anything comprehensive.

He strokes her back slowly, from shoulder blade to hip, before he brings his mouth back to her for a possessive kiss.

Her heart maintains its brutal, erratic pounding, her crave for him escalating every time their tongues tangle. Without meaning to speak, she murmurs unrecognizable words of appreciation whenever they stop long enough to draw in breath.

From some small area of her brain, she hears the sound of a cleared throat.

"Guys!" a loud voice rings out in urgency.

Releasing her mouth from Nathan's, Haley turns around. She's brought back to her senses at the sight of Lucas, a rush of warmth immediately flooding her face.

"Hi," she greets him breathily, her hand rising to fiddle with her hair as if it's messed up.

Lucas glances back and forth between them, looking both curious and uncomfortable.

Her blush deepening, Haley quickly looks away and wiggles out of Nathan's arms to stand.

"Sorry to interrupt," Lucas says, still appearing pensive. He's silent for a moment, like he's trying to determine if there's a possibility of something deeper between her and Nathan from what he's just seen.

Haley shifts from foot to foot, more than a little embarrassed at being caught practically grinding against each other.

Luke faces Nathan, his expression impassive. "I, uh, I've been looking for you. You okay?"

"Yeah," Nathan responds tentatively.

He looks at her in a helpless sort of way, like he's changed his mind about wanting to tell Luke about the steroids.

She nods with an encouraging smile, bending over to kiss his cheek.

"He has your back," she whispers very softly.

As she's walking away, she takes a glance at them over her shoulder. She can only see Nathan's face, which is coated with nervousness and guilt. Luke will probably want to whack him when he hears about the drugs, but at the end of it, he will have his back.

She averts her eyes just as Nathan gestures for Lucas to sit down.

"I need to tell you something."


	25. Chapter 25

"He's in," Nathan says, closing the car door.

Haley looks around the empty driveway. "How do you know?"

He jerks his head towards the garage, twirling his key ring around his finger.

"Door's down."

They step into the house hand-in-hand, the sound of the door closing hollow in the quiet.

Haley traces her thumb up and down along the back of his hand as she looks around.

"Maybe—"

"Where the hell have you been?"

Dan stomps out of the living room, his voice booming across the foyer. Something in his eyes sends Haley's heart ramming hard against her ribcage.

"I have barely seen you and it must have escaped you that you have a father."

When he notices her, his eyes narrow before focusing back on Nathan.

"Whitey may have cancelled practice, but don't think you get to sit around having fun. Grab your gear. You have a lot of time to make up for. Where have you been going every day for the past week after school? Did you get a job that I don't know about?"

Nathan thrusts the yellow envelope at him.

"Yes."

Dan stares at him before snatching the envelope out of his hand. "What is this?"

Without answering, Nathan leads Haley towards the staircase. Behind them, Dan lets out a loud laugh, a dry and evil sound that sends a chill down Haley's spine.

"Emancipation?"

Dan shifts his gaze to her when they face him, studying her with such frostiness that her mouth goes dry, her heart leaping to her throat.

If looks could kill, she would be charred barbecue.

"So you're the one who has been filling my son's head with delusions and fantasies."

Somehow, she finds the courage to say, "He deserves to be happy, Mr. Scott."

That same menacing and mocking laugh tears across the hall.

"Happy? Happy? You're welcome, son, for never going hungry or sleeping out in the cold."

"That's not enough to—"

"Shut up!" he roars.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Nathan yells. "She has done more for me than you ever have, Dad."

Dan shakes his head, face pinched with disgust and anger. He rips open the envelope, his eyes moving back and forth as he scans through the papers.

"Betrayed by my own son because he's trying to impress some girl on his manhood. Listen to me, Nathan. You have a great life, a beautiful home and a basketball pedigree any kid would die for."

"Yeah. I know," Nathan says flatly.

Casting Nathan a dark, piercing look, Dan moves to the table by the staircase, pulling open the drawer. Like in fury, he scrawls his signature, slapping the document against Nathan's chest.

Haley is surprised that it was so easy for him to sign them. She expected a wage war that would leave one of them drained to the bone.

"If this is how you want it, I don't think you should be living under my roof, either."

"I just came by for my things," Nathan says unemotionally.

His hand in Haley's is steady, unlike her trembling one. How Nathan managed all these years without going mad is beyond comprehension.

"You ungrateful brat. You are going to break your mother's heart."

Nathan stiffens, looking down at his father. "I haven't seen her in months. I doubt she'll be as affected as you may think."

"Have you thought this thing through? What it's going to do to your game?"

"My game. Of course."

Dan looks Nathan up and down with a sneer. "Maybe I picked the wrong son, after all."

Haley gasps softly, feeling like she's been slapped. Nathan, in contrast, doesn't seem fazed by it.

He tugs at her hand, saying in a casual tone, "Let's go."

"Remember that I know your secret, Nathan."

They both freeze.

"The doctor ran a few tests before you skipped out of the hospital. I told him that no son of mine takes anabolic steroids when his basketball career is on the line."

Dan's lips curl in a devious smirk. He looks victorious, as if he's enjoying himself.

"Playing house costs a lot of money. I give you a week out in the real world, and I'll be there for you when you hit rock bottom," he adds with fake, insincere concern.

"And you will."

Haley's eyes are fixated on his back as he retreats. She wants to throw something at him, to see him hurt as much as he hurt Nathan.

They head upstairs to Nathan's room, an expression of thorough determination on his face as he looks around the bedroom.

"I have some cardboard boxes in the closet," he says.

She ponders asking if he's okay, but thinks better of it; that would be a stupid question.

"Where do you want me to start?"

Hands on the closet knobs, he looks at her over his shoulder, lips twisted in a diminutive smile.

"We could pack up everything before moving them to the car? Or do you prefer we pack and carry them out one by one?"

"First one sounds better."

They work considerably fast, putting away the electronics, books, CDs and DVDs in the boxes. The rest they lug as they are to the car, clothes still on hangers and shoes piled in their arms.

Dan stays out of the way, the television blaring from a basketball game he's watching. Haley reckons that he's drowning them out, trying to make them uncomfortable for what they're doing.

"No family albums?" she asks after loading the last box into the car.

They're both sweating after moving everything in a little over an hour. They have crammed everything into the trunk and the backseat of the convertible. The car's narrow space means that things are piled on top of and in between each other.

He shoots a glance at the house. "Nothing of importance."

He sighs, looking around like he's memorizing his childhood home before beginning another chapter of his life.

"On my seventh birthday, my dad took me to a basketball game and I missed my own party. You know what he said when we returned home and everyone was gone? 'You don't need to impress them, Nathan. Parties are for losers, anyway.'"

He looks at her, his eyes revealing the hurt he must have felt on that day.

"I don't want keepsakes reminding me of crappy moments like those."

She nods, taking a shallow breath and swallowing hard over the lump in her throat.

"The one time you need me most and my parents are in town."

"Don't worry about it. Uncle Keith's spare room will do while I look for an apartment."

Nathan is silent for a moment.

"You know, I didn't think that he would be the one to help me out considering that we barely know each other."

"Keith's a really great guy. He's been a father to Lucas."

"Lucky Lucas," he says with a smile, but there's a hint of sorrow in his eyes.

"You're going to be lucky, too, from here on out," she says, her hands resting on either side of his waist.

She just wants to weep at how things are turning out for him. It may be for the best, but bad things have pushed him to breaking it off with the two people who are supposed to love him undeniably.

She must look sullen because he puts his arms around her, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

Holding back a cry, Haley hugs him tight, shutting her eyes and burrowing her face in his chest, the coolness of his leather jacket on her cheek.

"I'll be okay, Hales. I'll be fine."

Thinking back on what Dan said to him as they walked upstairs, she's instantly filled with that horror whenever she hears whatever he has to say.

"How could he say that?" she says in a hoarse whisper. "Like you're a…a car he can trade in for another."

"It's the kind of guy he is. Spiteful and horrible. Frankly, it doesn't bother me much anymore when he says crap like that."

She raises her head from his chest to look up at him.

"He's told you that before?"

He shrugs, but it's answer enough.

Once, twice, thrice, it doesn't matter. He made Nathan seem worthless.

"I just want to leave his issues behind. I'm tired of him relieving his glory days through me."

He pats the door of the convertible. "Now I have to find a buyer for this one."

"It's too pretty not to sell like hot cakes," she tells him, opening her door.

"I hope you're right."

Before buckling in, she sets a box on her lap and maneuvers her feet through a couple of shoes on the floor mat.

"You okay there?" Nathan asks humourously.

"You see these gigantic shoes at my feet? It would be terribly easy to pick one up and chuck it at your face."

He chuckles, turning the ignition.

As he pulls out of the driveway and towards the street, he doesn't even take a last look at the house in the rear view mirror.

* * *

"Next time you should sign up," Nathan says.

The auditorium is emptying out but they aren't moving, waiting for Peyton to exit the backstage.

"To give myself a chance to choke? No, thank you. I—"

Her eyes meet Brooke's. Instant dislike flares in Brooke's, her forehead puckering slightly. Haley averts her eyes, refusing to let Brooke's antagonism get under her skin.

"I, um, I would rather be a spectator."

Nathan casts a look to where her gaze was, a small smile stretching across his lips when he turns to her.

"Ignore her."

"I plan to. What have you been thinking about?" she asks.

He's been reserved and quiet since afternoon, appearing distracted throughout the show.

"My dad," he says quietly, releasing a long sigh.

Her eyes roam his face, the resignation and sadness so intense that she reaches out and takes his hand, twining their fingers together out of a need of some physical contact.

"Would he do that? Call up scouts and tell them you took steroids?"

He's thoughtful for a few seconds, and then shakes his head.

"I doubt it. I'm his chance at being in the pros, and if he ruined that, it would be a sick way of him ruining his life, too."

She catches the look of uncertainty that passes over his face.

"But you're worried."

She raises her finger, lightly tracing it over the crease between his eyebrows.

His smile turns crooked. "You shouldn't know that look yet."

His eyes drift away, that shadow of glumness still in them.

"This is the same guy who acted like a drill sergeant while coaching our little league and made Max Samson cry."

Silence reigns between them for a few moments and then Nathan shakes his head, slumping forward slightly.

"It's Dan, Hales. I'm leaning on him not saying a word, but I wouldn't be surprised if he actually did it."

"What happened that made him turn out like that? Has he always been so…"

"Controlling and bitter? Regrets. He has a lot of them."

He sighs, tunneling his fingers through his hair. "I know I made a mistake taking those steroids, but I don't want it to affect my chances at college or the pros. I told Luke as much, and he promised to keep it to himself if I promised him not to be so stupid again."

From what Nathan told her, and from her talk later on with Lucas, Luke could have knocked him out after he admitted to taking the steroids.

He's stuck to the story about dehydration, especially to keep the truth from Coach Durham. Unless Dan tells on him, no one will know about the drugs.

"Where did you get them?"

He gives her a rueful look. "Online."

They're both quiet, but there is no tension between them.

Peyton comes into sight from the left wing of the stage, backpack over her shoulder, still dressed in the corset, short skirt and fishnet stockings.

"Bravo, blondie!" Haley calls out, her voice carrying around the deserted auditorium.

Peyton bows slightly as she comes up the steps. "Thank you."

"Third place. Not bad, Sawyer," Nathan says.

She waves the envelope in her hand, grinning widely. "I could do some damage at the record store with this."

"After you buy me that root beer float for not believing me."

"I didn't win."

"You have a hundred dollars. That's not anywhere close to a loss."

Peyton sticks her tongue out, flicking the envelope over Haley's forehead. "Fine. I'll even be generous enough to use it to celebrate Nate's acquired freedom."

Slinging her purse over her shoulder, Haley catches him stride out of the auditorium. Nathan is a lot more resilient than he gives himself credit for. He's going to be okay.

"Do we get to pick what to eat? Because I really want to try that new sandwich shop."

"Moochers cannot be choosers."

Just as they step out of the open doors at the top of the staircase, the auditorium lights go off.

The parking lot is less crowded than it was earlier, but there are still people lingering, chatting and laughing in groups. Over by Luke's truck a few yards from the auditorium steps, Luke, Skills and Nathan are squabbling while trying to maneuver a large chest into the back of the truck.

With a once-over at Peyton's outfit, Haley says, "I probably shouldn't ask why you're still wearing your costume."

Peyton just squeezes her shoulder and chuckles with wicked mischief.


	26. Chapter 26

"You two are the worst," Lucas grumbles with a sneer.

Haley and Nathan don't pause with their goofy dance, a strange combination of odd body movements and a foot jig.

"My baby's smart!" Nathan hollers, pretending to smack Haley's butt.

"I'm smart!" Peyton protests.

"Hales is super smart! Do that happy dance again, babe!"

After another minute of unusual dancing, they drop down on the sofa laughing.

Peyton and Lucas are just shaking their heads, not looking the least bit amused.

"Overkill? Really, Haley? Were you just saving it for the finale?"

"Sorry."

"Luke, didn't you say that you're good at this?"

"I am good, but Haley's better."

"You got that right," Nathan mumbles in her ear. "For the record, I am never playing Scrabble if it's just the two of us."

"Chicken," she chuckles with a brief kiss to his lips before reaching for the glasses on the table.

"Anybody want a refill?"

"Yes, please. They just upped us by over a hundred points in one move! Get your head in the next game!"

"What about you? You're using three-letter words! Art. Really, Peyton?"

"It's not my fault I got horrible tiles. But I put in axe. That's worth a couple more points."

"We are dating nerds, Sawyer. Enjoy it."

"I heard that," Haley calls over her shoulder.

Pulling out the juice carton from the fridge, she shakes her head as she listens to her friends argue back and forth.

She didn't think it was possible that Nathan and Lucas would ever be in the same room without having the urge to choke each other but it has come to be.

The brothers' relationship has progressed exceptionally well, and she and Peyton are glad not to be caught in the middle during those fights they used to have when Luke joined the team.

"I can't believe you'll be living alone," she hears Luke say.

"Wouldn't your mom kill you and mount your head at the café if you did something like that?"

"In a heartbeat. The hearing is in a few days, right?"

"Yeah. It's just a formality to show the judge that I'm not living on the streets."

It's been a little shy of a week since Nathan moved into Keith's spare room, and in all that time, she has seen something different about him; that weariness he would carry every day they parted ways has alleviated.

He constantly looked beleaguered, but these days, he seems more carefree and happier.

She's on her way back to the living room when the doorbell rings. Sliding the tray on the hallway table, she rushes to the door, surprise rolling through her at the person standing on the porch.

"Are you Haley?"

Deb Scott is a petite, elegant woman with vivid blue-grey eyes and blonde hair cut just below her ears.

She can see where Nathan gets his nose and mouth.

Recovering from the initial shock, Haley swings the door open wider.

"Yes. It's—"

"Where is he?" Deb asks brashly, peering into the house.

Drawing her extended hand back, Haley curls it around the door, widening the opening. The older Scotts are not fans of pleasantries, it seems.

"I'll just get him."

Deb suddenly grabs her arm, holding her back. She's eyeing her keenly, a grim expression on her face that's a combination of anger and hostility.

"If you had anything to do with this…"

She lets the sentence hang between them and Haley instantly gets defensive.

"Anything to do with what?" she asks, playing the fool, loosening her arm from Deb's hold.

"He didn't even have the decent courtesy to let me know beforehand. I had to hear it from Dan, not my own son."

Haley doesn't know what to make of Deb's appearance days after Nathan moved out. It took her this long to realize what was going on?

"He called and emailed you. If you had answered your phone or returned his calls—"

Deb steps up to her and in her dangerously high heels, she towers over Haley.

"Don't get smart with me. I don't know what you're playing at, but you are making a big mistake."

"Why do you keep threatening me?"

She's angry at how Nathan's parents don't seem to find fault in themselves at how things have turned out.

"Before he met you, he was fine. He—"

"He was not fine!" she blurts loudly.

She closes her eyes momentarily, forcing herself to calm down. She's always tempestuous when it comes to Nathan's parents, yet with other adults, she's reasonable and unruffled.

"He was not fine."

Deb regards her balefully, mouth pursed tightly.

"Hales, what—"

Nathan, mystified at seeing his mother, approaches them with his gaze steady on her.

"What are you doing here?"

The silence stretches on for quite a length. Nathan is rigid as he stands beside Haley, the calmness he possessed five minutes ago before his mother's arrival completely gone.

"Hi, Nate," Deb smiles, an uneven smile that speaks of nervousness.

"I came to see you."

He scoffs, canting his head sideways for a moment. "You're kidding me. Now you care?"

"Can we talk in private?" she asks, glancing at Haley briefly.

"I have nothing to say. You didn't give a crap about me and suddenly because I'm emancipated, you want to talk to me?"

"I know that it's been hard living with your father—"

Immediately, Nathan freezes up.

"Don't tell me you know because you have no idea what it's been like staying in the same house with that maniac!" he shoots angrily.

"He has made my life a living hell by constantly kicking my ass about basketball and freely dishing out insults when I didn't do it right. Which, by the way, is every time because nothing is ever good enough for that lunatic. You don't get to come back and tell me that you understand when all you've done is abandoned me and stayed away."

A heavy silence follows. Deb jerks her focus to Haley before returning it to Nathan. The disapproving and disdainful looks from the older woman are grating on Haley's nerves.

"I had to work," Deb says through the deafening silence, her voice low and tight.

"Real nice, Mom. Your job over your son."

"Oh, grow up, Nathan," Deb bites back. "We've all had to make sacrifices."

Lips set in a tight line that looks painful, Nathan glares at her like what she's said is incomprehensible.

"That's just the thing. I had to grow up by myself thanks to your sacrifices."

Deb says nothing for a moment, her face pained like she's fighting for control.

"I never wanted or meant to hurt you," she says carefully.

It's an unsatisfactory response for Nathan because he becomes stiffer.

"Believe me when I say that," she continues. "I didn't mean to let you down, and I hate that things turned out the way they did. It—"

The brassy ring of a cell phone cuts her off.

Deb lets out a sigh, drawing the phone out of her purse. She glances at the display before answering the call.

"Hello? Yes? What?"

Her clipped tone and rigid shoulders point to something being wrong.

"Where? I'll be there as soon as I can."

Lowering the phone after ending the call, Deb looks at Nathan, face set.

"It's your father. He's on the way to the hospital."

* * *

"I don't even know what I'm doing here," Lucas mumbles as they walk down the hallway with several coffees they got from the vending machine.

"He's still your father, Luke. It's only natural for you to want to find out how he's doing."

"Yeah. Aren't I a great son? Man treats me like I don't exist all my life, yet here I am waiting to hear if he's alright."

"Well, if it's bothering you to think of being here for Dan, then think of being here for Nathan."

They've been waiting for over an hour, and the most they've gotten out of anyone is that Dan had a heart attack and he's under observation.

"How's he doing?"

She exhales heavily. "I honestly don't know. We haven't had a chance to talk."

They drove to the hospital in silence, but she could tell that he was conflicted. At the first stop sign, he dragged her hand to his lap and gave it a squeeze. She left it there the whole way to the hospital.

On reaching the nondescript waiting room of the Cardiac Wing, they find that it has dwindled from the half-dozen people that were occupying it; it's just Peyton, Nathan and Deb.

Peyton is staring at her clasped hands, Nathan at the floor, Deb at the wall.

Deb barely acknowledges her when she offers her a coffee. Haley tries to shake it off, but it gnaws that there are more people against her relationship with Nathan than those rooting for them.

Her and Luke reclaim their respective seats. She links her fingers through Nathan's, the gesture having Deb lifting her chin slightly, her head tilting.

"Nothing yet," Nathan says, his thumb rubbing across her skin slowly. He leans back in the chair, stretching his long legs out.

It feels like a pressure cooker in the waiting room. Everyone is tense and uncomfortable, an eerie silence hovering above the beeping machines and chattering voices beyond the waiting room.

The hospital is a strange world. People get healed there and people die there. When she was looking for Nathan after his collapse on the court, she went in and out like a hurricane, after discovering that he'd left the hospital. There is a graveness to being in the waiting room, the moments just dragging on slowly as the mind scatters on the many prospects of how bad the situation is.

Setting his empty cup on the floor, Nathan says quietly, "This doesn't change anything, Mom. I'm not coming back."

A muscle in Deb's jaw contracts.

"You did this to him. You're the reason he's here. You up and left him, and now he's in the hospital."

It's the first sentence she's spoken in the hour-and-a-half they've been waiting.

Nathan's hand in hers tenses.

"You walked away from him," she continues, her furious eyes shifting to Haley.

"And you helped him do it. You're both to blame."

Haley grips his hand tighter, a knot of tension congealing in her chest. Her heart is thrashing, her breathing a little strained.

Shifting his attention to Deb, Nathan laughs wryly.

"You're blaming me? You show up after months and then he has a heart attack. That news must have been the trigger."

Deb stares at him, her face contorting in anger. "Don't talk to me like that! I am your mother!"

"As far as I'm concerned, I do not have a mother."

Haley is wincing inwardly, feeling out of her depth. She bites her lip to repress the heaving sigh tickling her throat.

The embarrassingly awkward silence stretches on. From the corner of her eye, she catches Luke and Peyton staring at the floor, most likely wishing they could be elsewhere.

"Uncle Keith took me in, no questions asked. All this even when his brother constantly insulted and belittled him."

"I'm appealing to the courts to revoke your emancipation."

Nathan gawps at her like she's lost her mind. "What?"

"You're a boy, Nathan! A boy! How are you going to take care of yourself when you're still a child!"

Nathan's face is a wild mixture of anger and animosity.

"How would you know? You've barely raised me!"

"You think you learned to wipe your nose by yourself?" Deb volleys back.

"Excuse me."

They all turn to the nurse standing a few feet away with a stern stare on her face. They all have the good sense to appear remorseful, and with another sharp look, the nurse departs.

"Don't screw this up for me, Mom," Nathan says in the most detached voice she has ever heard him use.

"You've screwed up enough, and I'm tired of being the pawn in whatever game you two have going on. Just leave me in peace, alright?"

His hand loosens its grip on hers completely, and then he walks away.

Haley watches him go, until his departing figure is out of sight, turning the corner towards the bank of elevators. The wedge of deep sympathy forges its way fully within her. His relationship with his mother is worse than she'd thought.

When she turns her gaze to Deb, she finds the blue-grey eyes filled with a rage that is directed at her. Everything screams at her to get away from there, too, to sprint for the bathroom and splash her face with cold water until she's a semblance of poised.

Not saying a word, she tears her eyes away from Deb's pinched face. Playing with the plastic bracelet on her wrist, she lets her gaze wander to the wall across from her to stare at the text on a poster about HIV.

_Get tested…_

This is taking its toll on everyone. Luke doesn't want to be here, Peyton has barely spoken, Deb and Nathan are down each other's throats when they talk and ignoring each other when they aren't.

_Transmitted from mother to child…_

The TV and clock affixed on the wall play and tick, each sound making the time lag endlessly.

_Multiple partners…_

"What happened? Is he okay?"

The room seems to come to life with Keith's arrival, everyone tuning out from their own thoughts to turn to him.

He looks frazzled, eyes red and hair askew like the phone call dragged him out of bed.

Luke is about to answer when Deb calls his name. Startled, Keith whips his gaze to Deb, blinking twice like he can't believe his eyes.

"Deb?"

She manufactures a tight smile, stepping towards him. Keith hugs her quickly, standing back and gripping her shoulders at arm's length.

"When did you get back?"

"Last night."

"What have they told you?"

A brief, pensive look flashes across her face.

"Nothing much. He managed to call 911, and they found him on the floor. We're waiting for the doctor."

Haley can't help but observe how unflustered Deb appears. Her makeup is still impeccable, not a hair out of place, like she's waiting on the news about a pet rather than a spouse. She's definitely someone who knows how to deal with a crisis.

Just then, a doctor enters the waiting room.

"Dan Scott's family?"

They all stand to face the white-coated doctor, a man with reading glasses perched at the edge of his nose and a sprinkling of grey in his dark hair.

"I'm Dr. Mitchell, the cardiologist handling Mr. Scott's case."

Haley surreptitiously glances at the hallway, hoping to see Nathan.

"He's my husband. How is he?" Deb asks, still as stoic and regal as she was when they got here.

"His vital signs are strong, but we will keep monitoring him for the next twenty-four hours."

"What caused the heart attack?"

"Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy."

"English, doctor."

Haley looks up again, to see Nathan rushing down the hallway. She feels a bit of relief, having fleetingly wondered if Deb would tell them to get lost because they're not family to be privy to Dan's diagnosis.

"It's a genetic mutation," the doctors says just as Nathan walks over to stand beside Lucas, "and it causes the heart muscles to thicken. Eventually, it prevents the heart from pumping blood."

"Did he just get it?" Keith asks.

The doctor shakes his head. "He's had it for some time, and it often goes undiagnosed."

"Why now?" Deb prompts.

"Sometimes cardiac arrest is brought on by excessive physical activity, even excessive stress."

Deb takes that moment to throw Nathan an accusatory glance. Haley is ashamed to admit that she wants to slap the older woman.

"Does he have children?" the doctor asks, his gaze shifting over their faces.

"Yes. Why?"

"HCM is genetic, and there's a fifty percent chance that his children would inherit it. I recommend that they get screened as soon as possible because arrhythmias can be life-threatening."

They're all deadly quiet, Lucas and Nathan exchanging a dazed look.

The suggestion from the devastating information is that either one of them has a severe heart condition that they did not know about, a heart condition that makes it impossible for them to be involved in excessive physical activity. For one of them, basketball is out of the question.

"Can we see him?" Deb asks.

"We gave him a mild anesthetic and he's sleeping at the moment, and I can only let one of you in."

"I'll go," she says, grabbing her jacket from the armrest of her chair.

Dr. Mitchell nods, turning away. Deb follows him down the hall, and they're left standing there as if unsure of what to do.

"You can head home, kids," Keith says.

None of them needs to be told twice. Even if they could be allowed to see Dan, it would be very odd to actually go into his room and see him. Only three of them know him well enough to want to see him attached to medical equipment, and the other three consider him a stranger. They're merely there on a supportive basis.

"Nathan."

His stance defensive, he stops, sighing before turning around. Deb is at the end of the hallway, coat draped over her arm, looking at him with some kind of hope.

"You want to meet up for coffee? Or come to the house for dinner?"

"No," he says without pausing a beat.

The four teens pile into the elevator, the strain mounting, so thick that it could be sliced with a knife.

The whole ride down, no one says anything. They weave through the busy emergency room and step out into the cool spring air. The sky is darkened this time of night, and loaded with stars. The toenail-shaped moon provides very little light, but the car park is lit with safety lights.

"I don't know what to say to him," Peyton says quietly as they walk between rows of cars.

"Luke?"

"Yes. And Nathan."

A few steps ahead of them, Nathan and Luke are speaking in hushed tones.

It's a hammer blow, the sudden realization that there's a probability of carrying a genetic mutation that causes heart attacks. News like that triggers a bunch of emotions, the need to be calm and the need to hit something clashing against each other. But as the Scott brothers go, they look calm and in control.

"Sometimes you don't have to say anything to make someone feel better. Being there is enough."

She's extremely worried about both of them, considering that the doctor's description of the illness is like a death sentence.

Peyton blows out a long breath. "I guess."

Haley doesn't say it, but she feels just as powerless as Peyton to do anything.

They're parked side by side, and Haley gives Luke a tight hug, telling him that she'll come by tomorrow. Before he gets into the car, Luke pats Nathan's shoulder.

"I'll drive," she says after they drive off.

Nathan shakes his head, and she interrupts him before he protests.

"Come on. Give me the keys."

He relents after a pause, and they settle into the car, Nathan rolling down the window and hanging his elbow out.

The heat kicks in when she turns the ignition, warmth touching her chilled fingers.

She backs the car out cautiously, easing it towards the junction past the gates of the hospital.

"She's unbelievable," he mutters when she anchors the car into the main street.

"Her parenting skills are a joke and now she thinks she has the right to tell me what to do? Where are you going?"

"I'm taking you home."

"Are you spending the night?"

"At Keith's? I don't think he would approve. Are you hungry? We can pass by the drive-in and stuff ourselves."

"Let's go to your place, then. Aren't your parents gone for a few days?"

"Keith would also notice if you were missing from your bed," she says with a slight grin.

A faint frown forms on his face, his gaze wandering to the car's stereo.

"It's weird having someone ask where I'm going or coming from without biting my head off about every innocent thing."

"Nice weird or creepy weird?"

"Nice weird, I think."

They drive in silence for another couple of blocks until Haley pulls the car into the fast food restaurant. She places a large order of sweet potato fries and sodas at the drive through window, swinging the car into the small, almost-empty parking lot in the rear of the building after collecting their food.

With the open bag between them, the smell of the fries fills the car. Hungrily, she stuffs a couple into her mouth.

Nathan picks them off one by one, munching each distractedly while drumming his fingers on the roof.

"He's going to be okay," she says.

He just nods and makes a noncommittal sound, continuing the absentminded eating and drumming.

After a few more mouthfuls accompanied by soft jazz from the radio, Haley leans back in the seat to relax and really look at him. With him, asking questions is the first step to getting him to open up.

"Is it always like that with your mom?"

He turns his head to look at her. Hysterical is the last thing she would expect from Nathan, but the lack of readable emotion on his face disconcerts her. She rationalizes that if she were in his shoes, she would find it difficult to put some things into words.

"Every time I think that I've let go of my anger towards them," he says, his voice controlled, "something happens that reminds me that I'm not over it. I have my independence, but I hate that I'm still wishing for a sane family life."

Not knowing what to say, Haley simply nods, chewing slowly.

"I hated living with them, but I guess I should be grateful that they ignored me instead of chased me around the house with a butcher knife. It's—"

A sharp hiccup escapes her.

Nathan narrows his eyes, an amused smile beginning to peek through.

"Sorry."

She tries to stifle a rising hiccup by putting a hand up to her mouth but it slips out.

There's a brief silence and then they both start to laugh.

Haley huffs out a giggle with another hiccup, leading them into more laughter.

"This is what — happens when I — eat sweet potato anything — ow."

She swallows down gulps of air, trying to rid herself of the hiccups.

"Hiccups, hiccups, go away, come again another day," Nathan sings, or at least tries to, while rubbing circles on her back.

She's choking with laughter and uncontrollable hiccupping. The hiccups last all the way to Keith's apartment.

* * *

They climb the stairway to the third floor of the four-storey walk-up, Nathan turning on the lights of the dark, empty apartment on the way to his room.

With a muted sigh, Haley slips off her shoes to lie on the simple twin bed pushed up on the wall. Nathan takes the foot of the bed, legs propped up, back against the wall.

Through bleary eyes, she looks around the small room, at the bare walls, the boxes loaded with his stuff, the single wardrobe that's more vacant than filled.

"It's definite that you're getting the apartment?"

She slants a look at him, seeing him nod. There's a solemn expression on his face like he's musing on everything that's happened today.

"The moment the current tenant moves out."

She can only try to imagine what directions his thoughts are careening towards.

"It's not your fault."

It must be screwing with his mind, the idea that he's really to blame for Dan's heart attack. Worsened by his mother blurting it to his face.

"So many times I wished him dead, and now…"

When he looks up at her, his eyes are shadowed with distress, like he's questioning his role in his father's heart attack.

"What if she's right? What if I did this to him?"

"You didn't. He's just sick."

He sighs heavily, dragging a hand over his face.

"Chances are I'm sick, too," he says with a husky catch in his voice.

And the thought of it horrifies her. Him or Lucas, or even the two of them, could be a carrier of the heart disorder. She doesn't understand the full extent of the condition, but it can't be good.

"My one saving grace, my one way out, is that if I play halfway decent, I can get a scholarship and get the hell away from both of those lunatics."

He swings his eyes to her face, the torment in them making her breath hitch a little.

"And if I have that heart condition, I might as well be screwed."

Her gaze steady, she sits up straighter, crossing her legs like in a meditation pose.

"How far would you go? To college, I mean. How far would you want to go to get away from them?"

His brow folds slightly as he gives consideration to her question.

"The plan has always been Duke and then the NBA."

"Whose plan?"

Revelation flickers through his eyes, and then he lets out a deep breath slowly.

"My dad's," he says softly.

For a moment, quietness sweeps between them, Nathan looking at her intently.

He shakes his head firmly like he's done dwelling on everything. He slides up the bed to stretch out beside her, slinking an arm around her waist.

"I don't know how I'd deal with all this crap if you weren't around."

She gives him a thin smile, touching her hand to his cheek. "You're welcome."

He holds her close, covering her lips with his in a soft kiss.

"I'm serious," he whispers, his eyes turning that darker shade of blue that turns her insides to jelly.

"It's like the worse things get with my parents, the better things get with you."

She wriggles closer, falling a little harder for him when he shows her his vulnerabilities. Running a finger down his cheek, she turns her face up to his and kisses him.

Her tongue flickers softly against his lips, and slanting her head, she deepens the kiss. Her body instantly comes alive. She twines her arms around his neck, her leg slipping to between both of his.

Breaths mingling, wet tongues swirling boldly, Haley knows perfectly well that this is not the best time to get into one of the things they do best, but she can't help herself. She can't seem to get enough of him, surges of adrenaline shooting through her to the point that she's turning into molten lead.

"It's late."

The unexpected sound of Keith's voice has them breaking apart guiltily. So consumed were they that it had gone beyond the edge of reason, beyond hearing Keith enter the apartment or move around.

He's standing in the open doorway, an eyebrow raised in question.

Swiftly, Haley slides away from Nathan and gets to her feet. Instantly embarrassed, she lowers her gaze to the floor, reaching for her shoes with trembling fingers.

The air in the room crackles with gaping silence, Haley excruciatingly aware of the cold blowing on her skin from the two open buttons along the top of her blouse. She curses inaudibly, taking a beat to fix her shirt, bent over as she is after putting on her shoes.

"Yeah. I should take you home."

She straightens, catching Keith give Nathan a furtive glance.

"I'll drive her."

She glances back over her shoulder at Nathan, noticing how at ease he seems to be, despite the electric shock hair.

"See you tomorrow," she says with a quick smile before heading out of the bedroom in a hurry.

Cheeks flaming, a flush blazing through her body, Haley swipes a hand through her hair when she slides into Keith's truck.

He eases the car out of the lot and into the boulevard. He lives close to the town center, and this side of it is like a twenty-four-hour economy. It's close to midnight, but restaurants and shops are still open, and there are people milling about.

Still thrown for a loop, her eyes dart nervously as they cruise down the street, growing increasingly uncomfortable with the passing silence. It happens a lot when she's with Nathan, getting so caught up in each other that they drown out everything around them, that they actually get caught by someone.

"How's Deb?" she asks rapidly.

"Fuming."

She sits bolt upright, lifting her eyes to his face. "About Dan or about Nathan?"

Keith casts her a sideways fleeting look. "About everything."

"Did she take it out on you?"

"Her only child is seeking emancipation and I'm giving him a place to live. She didn't find any kind of thoughtful support in that."

The silence settles again. Keith shifts in the seat, thumb tapping on the wheel.

"He's a good kid," he says, briefly taking his eyes off the road.

She swallows hard, her gaze locked with his. "He is."

Keith has been present for as long as she's known Lucas, but they have never had any heart-to-heart conversations. He's more of Luke's confidant than hers, and the direction this talk is going will leave both of them uneasy.

Keith looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he trains his eyes on the road.

She lets out a quiet breath of relief, returning her gaze to the window and taking comfort in the fact that the awkwardness of what he walked in on has abated.

From what she's witnessed of Dan, Keith is the laid back one, the cool uncle who his brother's children prefer to the father himself. Even with his parents being so unpredictable, Nathan has someone like Keith on his side.


End file.
